What to do when a Capital Group account holder dies
Contact Capital Group — 6-step process, 6 required documents, and capital group does not publish a specific timeline. expect 2-4 weeks after all required documents are received for standard claims. probate-dependent claims vary based on court proceedings.
Shareholder Services
American Funds Service Company, P.O. Box 6007, Indianapolis, IN 46206-6007 (western/central states and international) or P.O. Box 2280, Norfolk, VA 23501-2280 (eastern states)
Shareholder Services
American Funds Service Company, P.O. Box 6007, Indianapolis, IN 46206-6007 (western/central states and international) or P.O. Box 2280, Norfolk, VA 23501-2280 (eastern states)
Inherited Assets / Death Claims
American Funds Service Company, P.O. Box 6007, Indianapolis, IN 46206-6007 (western/central states and international) or P.O. Box 2280, Norfolk, VA 23501-2280 (eastern states)
After an account holder at Capital Group dies, accounts with beneficiary designations or trust ownership transfer to the designated recipients without probate. Solely-owned accounts require the estate's representative to contact Capital Group's Inherited Assets / Death Claims at (800) 421-4225 with the proper legal authority documents.
Capital Group offers an online claims portal that makes the initial filing process more straightforward. Survivors can also initiate claims by phone or by mailing documentation directly.
Death claim process
To file a claim after an account holder's death, here is what Capital Group requires:
Filing a claim
- TOD accounts: the named beneficiary provides death certificate and valid government-issued ID to receive assets
- IRA accounts with a named beneficiary: beneficiary completes claim paperwork and elects distribution method (eligible designated beneficiaries include surviving spouse, child under 21, individual not more than 10 years younger than deceased, and disabled or chronically ill individuals)
- Accounts without a beneficiary designation: provide Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration from the probate court
- Trust-titled accounts: the successor trustee provides death certificate, trust document, and trustee identification
Required Documents
- Certified death certificate
- Government-issued photo ID for the beneficiary, executor, or successor trustee
- Claim forms provided by Capital Group after notification
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (if no beneficiary designation and probate is required)
- Trust documents and trustee identification (if trust-titled account or trust is named beneficiary)
- Add/Update Bank Information form (to link a bank account for receiving distributions)
Claims Contact
What to know at this institution
Call (800) 421-4225 as the first step -- Capital Group will walk you through the entire process. Inherited IRA beneficiaries must take distributions on time to avoid tax penalties and may be required to deplete the account within 5 or 10 years and/or take annual required minimum distributions (RMDs) under the SECURE Act. Eligible designated beneficiaries (surviving spouse, child under 21, individual not more than 10 years younger, disabled, or chronically ill) have different distribution options. A beneficiary who keeps assets in an inherited IRA names their own successor beneficiaries on Capital Group's separate Inherited IRA Beneficiary Change form, not the standard IRA Beneficiary Change form. If no beneficiary is designated on an IRA, the Custodial Agreement default order applies: surviving spouse, then children equally (deceased children's shares pass to grandchildren), then estate. Capital Group recommends consulting a financial professional and tax advisor regarding inherited account distribution options.
Prepare your letter of instruction to Capital Group
Capital Group asks for a letter of instruction alongside its claim form. We prepare a transmittal cover letter and the enclosure checklist Capital Group requires.
Build your letter of instructionExpected timelines at Capital Group: Capital Group does not publish a specific timeline. Expect 2-4 weeks after all required documents are received for standard claims. Probate-dependent claims vary based on court proceedings. Delays are almost always caused by incomplete paperwork—gathering all required documents before filing the initial claim helps avoid back-and-forth.
Documentation required by Capital Group includes Certified death certificate, Government-issued photo ID for the beneficiary, executor, or successor trustee, and Claim forms provided by Capital Group after notification, along with additional paperwork that varies by account type. All death certificates and court documents must be certified copies.
Frequently asked questions
No. Capital Group's IRA Beneficiary Change form (irgefm-004_iraben.pdf) states that it cannot accept beneficiary designations that reference a "will" or a "trust under will." That means a testamentary trust -- one created inside your will and not in existence until after death -- cannot be named directly as an IRA beneficiary at Capital Group. You can name an existing standalone (inter vivos) trust by providing its full legal name, such as "The Davis Family Trust." If your estate plan relies on a testamentary trust, consult your estate planning and tax advisors about alternatives, such as funding the trust through other assets or establishing a living trust to receive the IRA.
Yes. The Transfer on Death (TOD) Registration Request (mfgefm-002_tod.pdf) must be signed by all registered account owners, and Capital Group forms cannot be signed using Adobe Acrobat Reader's "fill and sign" feature -- a handwritten or compliant electronic signature is required. A married account owner who names a primary beneficiary other than the spouse may need the spouse to complete the spousal-consent section. Louisiana residents have an added requirement: the account owner's signature on the TOD form must either be notarized OR be witnessed by two people who are not named as beneficiaries on the form. A TOD form that includes a notary signature must be mailed to the service center and cannot be uploaded electronically. Capital Group's TOD form does not require a Medallion Signature Guarantee.
The form depends on account type: IRAs use the IRA Beneficiary Change form (irgefm-004_iraben.pdf), individual and joint accounts use the Transfer on Death (TOD) Registration Request (mfgefm-002_tod.pdf), and CollegeAmerica 529 plans use the CollegeAmerica Account Change Request to designate a successor owner. You cannot make a partial change: every Capital Group beneficiary form replaces all existing primary and contingent beneficiaries on the account, so you must re-list everyone you want named even if you are only adding or removing one person. Allocations must be in whole percentages totaling 100%. If spousal consent is not required, IRA beneficiaries can also be updated online at capitalgroup.com; completed forms can be uploaded at capitalgroup.com/submit unless they include a notary signature, signature guarantee, or original certification, which must be mailed.
Capital Group's Inherited Assets / Death Claims can be reached by phone at (800) 421-4225 and fax at (888) 421-4351 for questions throughout the claims process.
Multiple Capital Group investment accounts may mean multiple claims. Some account types can be processed together, but others require their own documentation. Check with the Inherited Assets / Death Claims to confirm what applies.
Sources
Data sourced from Capital Group primary sources (22 pages reviewed). How we research.
Shareholder Services
American Funds Service Company, P.O. Box 6007, Indianapolis, IN 46206-6007 (western/central states and international) or P.O. Box 2280, Norfolk, VA 23501-2280 (eastern states)
Shareholder Services
American Funds Service Company, P.O. Box 6007, Indianapolis, IN 46206-6007 (western/central states and international) or P.O. Box 2280, Norfolk, VA 23501-2280 (eastern states)
Inherited Assets / Death Claims
American Funds Service Company, P.O. Box 6007, Indianapolis, IN 46206-6007 (western/central states and international) or P.O. Box 2280, Norfolk, VA 23501-2280 (eastern states)
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