What to do when a CEFCU account holder dies
Contact CEFCU's CEFCU Trust and Investment Management (trust and estate settlement services provided by Members Trust Company) — 8-step process, 7 required documents, and totten trust and joint accounts are released once cefcu verifies the certified death certificate and the claimant's identification, typically in a single member center visit. estate accounts wait on the probate court's issuance of letters of office. ira distributions follow the beneficiary's election under the custodial agreement. ncua share insurance continues to cover the accounts of a deceased member as though they were still living for six months after death.
CEFCU Member Contact Center
CEFCU, P.O. Box 1805, Peoria, IL 61656-1805
CEFCU Trust and Investment Management (trust and estate settlement services provided by Members Trust Company)
7900 N. University Street, Peoria, IL 61615
CEFCU Member Contact Center (deceased member accounts) — settlement completed at a Member Center
CEFCU, P.O. Box 1805, Peoria, IL 61656-1805
When a member of CEFCU passes away, the CEFCU Member Contact Center (deceased member accounts) — settlement completed at a Member Center handles the transition of accounts to beneficiaries or the estate. Accounts with Payable on Death designations or trust ownership transfer outside of probate, while solely-owned accounts may require Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration from the probate court.
CEFCU provides an online portal for initiating death claims, which can simplify the initial notification and document submission process. Claims can also be started by phone or by mailing the required documents.
Death claim process
To file a claim after an account holder's death, here is what CEFCU requires:
Filing a claim
- Joint account with right of survivorship: the surviving joint member keeps the account
- Totten Trust Designation on the account: the named beneficiaries take those funds outside probate on presentation of the death certificate and their own photo ID
- Trust-titled account: the successor trustee identified on CEFCU's Certification and Agreement (form 743) takes over. Where no trustee remains able to act, that Agreement lets CEFCU require satisfactory evidence — including a copy of the will or trust agreement — to determine the beneficiary entitled to the assets
- No joint owner, no Totten Trust beneficiary, and no trust: the account is an estate asset. Present Letters of Office (Illinois) or Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration issued by the probate court
- Illinois members: a small estate affidavit under 755 ILCS 5/25-1 covers personal property up to $150,000 and the statute sets no waiting period
- California members (CEFCU has Member Centers in Alameda, Contra Costa, and Santa Clara counties): an affidavit under Cal. Prob. Code § 13100 may be presented at least 40 days after the date of death for estates up to $208,850 in personal property
- IRA, HSA, or CESA: beneficiaries file distribution elections under the custodial agreement through the IRA Department at 1.800.542.3328, ext. 33409
- Investment and brokerage accounts: contact the CEFCU Investment Services representative; the accounts are held at LPL Financial and are settled under LPL's beneficiary or TOD paperwork
- Trust administration and estate settlement: Trust and Investment Management (Members Trust Company) at 309.633.2681, fax 309.633.2588, 7900 N. University Street, Peoria, IL 61615
- TruStage life insurance or AD&D purchased through CEFCU: TruStage claims at 1.888.787.8243, ext. 4833351
Required Documents
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- Government-issued photo ID for the beneficiary, surviving joint member, successor trustee, or personal representative
- Letters of Office / Letters Testamentary / Letters of Administration, when the account is an estate asset
- Illinois small estate affidavit under 755 ILCS 5/25-1 (personal property up to $150,000), where the estate qualifies and no probate is opened
- California affidavit under Cal. Prob. Code § 13100, presented at least 40 days after death (personal property up to $208,850), for California members
- Trust agreement or CEFCU Certification and Agreement (form 743) naming the successor trustee, for trust-titled accounts
- IRA, HSA, or CESA beneficiary distribution election forms, obtained from the IRA Department
What to know at this institution
CEFCU runs a branch-and-phone estate process: there is no online claims portal and no downloadable death-claim form on the CEFCU forms page. The two CEFCU-specific documents that matter after a death are the Totten Trust Designation (its payable-on-death record for deposit accounts) and the Certification and Agreement, form 743 (its trust certification, which names the successor trustee and gives CEFCU the right to require the will or trust agreement when no trustee remains able to act). Estate settlement, corporate trustee, and executor services are provided by Members Trust Company through CEFCU Trust and Investment Management, not by the retail Member Contact Center. CEFCU does not provide legal or tax advice.
Prepare your letter of instruction to CEFCU
CEFCU accepts a claimant-drafted letter of instruction. We draft it for you — addressed to CEFCU's verified claims department, with the documents it requires enclosed.
Build your letter of instructionHow long the process takes at CEFCU: Totten Trust and joint accounts are released once CEFCU verifies the certified death certificate and the claimant's identification, typically in a single Member Center visit. Estate accounts wait on the probate court's issuance of Letters of Office. IRA distributions follow the beneficiary's election under the custodial agreement. NCUA share insurance continues to cover the accounts of a deceased member as though they were still living for six months after death. The most common reason for delays is missing or incomplete documentation, so submitting everything upfront is the best way to keep things moving.
Documentation required by CEFCU includes Certified copy of the death certificate, Government-issued photo ID for the beneficiary, surviving joint member, successor trustee, or personal representative, and Letters of Office / Letters Testamentary / Letters of Administration, when the account is an estate asset, along with additional paperwork that varies by account type. All death certificates and court documents must be certified copies.
Frequently asked questions
CEFCU uses its own trust certification: the Certification and Agreement, form 743, a fillable PDF at https://www.cefcu.com/content/docs/certification-and-agreement.pdf. Every trustee and co-trustee signs it under penalty of perjury, stating the trust's creation date, whether it is revocable or irrevocable, the settlors, the beneficiaries, whether one trustee may act alone, who the successor trustee is if a trustee dies, and the trust's taxpayer identification number. One eligibility rule is specific to a credit union: for a revocable living trust, the person who established the trust must be a CEFCU member. Signing the form also authorizes CEFCU to pull a consumer report and a QualiFile report on each trustee.
The Certification and Agreement (form 743) answers this in advance: the trustee elects either that the remaining trustees may act without appointing a successor, or that a named successor trustee takes over, and the successor's name and address go on the form. If no trustee remains able to act, the same Agreement lets CEFCU require satisfactory evidence — expressly including a copy of the will or trust agreement — to determine which beneficiary is entitled to the assets. Until CEFCU receives actual notice with satisfactory evidence that a trustee has died, resigned, or been removed, it may keep relying on the certification already on file.
Yes. All CEFCU Member Centers offer the Medallion Signature Guarantee, restricted to CEFCU members, for the sale, assignment, transfer, or redemption of a security — the imprint most transfer agents demand before retitling a decedent's stock, bonds, mutual funds, or some annuities. CEFCU's Medallion Checklist asks for the account number, unexpired photo ID, the completed but unsigned transfer documents, the most recent statement showing ownership and value, the stock certificate if there is one, the brokerage's written instructions, and proof you are the appropriate person to sign — Death Certificate, Letters of Office, Trust Agreement, or Power of Attorney documents. The Medallion program is expressly not available for beneficiary changes or account maintenance.
Often, yes. Joint accounts pass to the surviving member, and accounts carrying a Totten Trust Designation pass to the named beneficiaries on presentation of a certified death certificate and photo ID. Where an account is an estate asset, CEFCU accepts Letters of Office issued by an Illinois probate court, and small estates can avoid probate entirely: Illinois allows a small estate affidavit under 755 ILCS 5/25-1 for personal property up to $150,000 with no statutory waiting period, and CEFCU's California members can use an affidavit under Cal. Prob. Code § 13100 at least 40 days after the death for personal property up to $208,850. A surviving spouse who is not already a member has six months from the death to establish CEFCU membership in their own right.
CEFCU's CEFCU Member Contact Center (deceased member accounts) — settlement completed at a Member Center can be reached by phone at 1-800-542-3328 and email at email@contact.cefcu.com for questions throughout the claims process.
If the deceased held multiple CEFCU accounts, each may require a separate claim or have different documentation requirements. The CEFCU Member Contact Center (deceased member accounts) — settlement completed at a Member Center can confirm which accounts require individual attention and which can be processed together.
Sources
Data sourced from CEFCU primary sources (22 pages reviewed). How we research.
CEFCU Member Contact Center
CEFCU, P.O. Box 1805, Peoria, IL 61656-1805
CEFCU Trust and Investment Management (trust and estate settlement services provided by Members Trust Company)
7900 N. University Street, Peoria, IL 61615
CEFCU Member Contact Center (deceased member accounts) — settlement completed at a Member Center
CEFCU, P.O. Box 1805, Peoria, IL 61656-1805
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