What to do when a Schwab account holder dies
Contact Schwab's Estate Planning Services — 5-step process, 6 required documents, and death certificate verified within approximately 5 business days; most transfers completed within a few weeks after all documentation received
Phone1-800-435-4000
Mailing Address
Charles Schwab, 211 Main Street, San Francisco, CA 94105
WebsiteLearn more→
Estate Services / Inheritance Center
Phone1-877-566-2284
Toll-Free1-877-566-2284
Mailing Address
Charles Schwab Corporation, Attn: Estate Distribution Team, 2423 E. Lincoln Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85016-1215
Client Banking Services
WebsiteNotify online→
Verified Jul 2026
When a Schwab account holder passes away, the next step depends on how the investment accounts were set up. Accounts with beneficiary designations or trust ownership transfer outside of probate. Accounts titled solely in the deceased's name require the estate's legal representative to work with Schwab's Estate Planning Services (1-877-566-2284) to access and distribute the funds.
Death claims at Schwab can be started through an online portal, which streamlines the initial notification and document upload. Phone and mail options are also available.
Death claim process
Here is the step-by-step death claim process at Schwab:
Filing a claim
1
Notify Schwab of the death:
- Call 877-566-2284 with the deceased's name and Social Security number
- You can also call Schwab Client Banking Services at 888-403-9000 to report a death
- Schwab will secure the accounts and prepare for estate settlement
2
Submit required documentation:
- Upload the death certificate through your Schwab account (log in, select Upload Document, choose the account, and attach the file)
- Schwab verifies the death certificate within approximately 5 business days
3
Eligible inheritors will receive an email invitation to the Schwab Inheritance Center (inheritance.schwab.com) for digital task management
4
Complete the appropriate distribution form based on account type:
- For TOD accounts: complete the Designated Beneficiary Plan Distribution Authorization
- For IRA beneficiaries: complete the Inherited IRA Application
- For estate accounts: provide Letters Testamentary or Small Estate Affidavit
5
Submit forms online via the Inheritance Center, by mail, or at a branch and await processing
Required Documents
- Death certificate (certified copy)
- Government-issued ID for claimant
- Designated Beneficiary Plan Distribution Authorization (for TOD accounts)
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (if probate required)
- Small Estate Affidavit (if estate qualifies under state law)
- Inherited IRA Application (for IRA beneficiaries)
Claims Contact
What to know at this institution
Documents can be uploaded online (up to 5 files or 25MB total, processed in 2-4 business days). Schwab reaches out to inheritors and estate professionals as appropriate. The Inheritance Center provides a personalized to-do list, real-time status updates, and digital document upload. Starting in 2025, certain non-spouse heirs are required to take annual RMDs during the 10-year distribution period under the SECURE Act.
Prepare your letter of instruction to Schwab
Schwab asks for a letter of instruction alongside its claim form. We prepare a transmittal cover letter and the enclosure checklist Schwab requires.
Build your letter of instructionExpected timelines at Schwab: Death certificate verified within approximately 5 business days; most transfers completed within a few weeks after all documentation received. Delays are almost always caused by incomplete paperwork—gathering all required documents before filing the initial claim helps avoid back-and-forth.
Schwab requires several documents to process a claim, including Death certificate (certified copy), Government-issued ID for claimant, and Designated Beneficiary Plan Distribution Authorization (for TOD accounts), and additional documentation depending on the account type. Certified copies are typically needed—photocopies are generally not accepted for death certificates or court documents.
Frequently asked questions
Schwab typically verifies death certificates within approximately 5 business days. Documents uploaded online are processed in 2-4 business days. The full inheritance process timeline varies depending on account type, required documentation, and whether probate is involved. Most transfers are completed within a few weeks after all documentation is received. The Schwab Inheritance Center at inheritance.schwab.com provides a personalized to-do list and real-time status updates for eligible inheritors.
If no beneficiaries are designated (or all named beneficiaries have predeceased the owner), the account becomes part of the decedent's estate and must go through probate. This requires Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration from the probate court, which can take several months. The Schwab One Estate Account is designed for executors and court-appointed administrators to manage and distribute estate assets during probate.
No. The Schwab Designated Beneficiary Plan (which provides Transfer on Death registration for Schwab One Brokerage accounts) is not available to residents of Louisiana. Louisiana does not recognize TOD registration for brokerage accounts under state law. Louisiana residents who want to avoid probate on a Schwab brokerage account should consider titling the account in the name of a revocable living trust instead.
Yes, a trust can be named as beneficiary of a Schwab IRA, but there are significant tax implications. To qualify for the stretch distribution rules under the SECURE Act, the trust must be a "see-through" (conduit or accumulation) trust that meets IRS requirements, including having the trust document submitted to Schwab by October 31 of the year following the account owner's death. Non-qualifying trusts are subject to the 5-year distribution rule. Schwab's resource "Should You Name a Trust as IRA Beneficiary?" at schwab.com provides detailed guidance.
Schwab's Estate Services / Inheritance Center can be reached by phone at 1-877-566-2284 for questions throughout the claims process.
If the deceased held multiple Schwab investment accounts, each may require a separate claim or have different documentation requirements. The Estate Planning Services can confirm which accounts require individual attention and which can be processed together.
Sources
Data sourced from Schwab primary sources (20 pages reviewed). How we research.
Phone1-800-435-4000
Mailing Address
Charles Schwab, 211 Main Street, San Francisco, CA 94105
WebsiteLearn more→
Estate Services / Inheritance Center
Phone1-877-566-2284
Toll-Free1-877-566-2284
Mailing Address
Charles Schwab Corporation, Attn: Estate Distribution Team, 2423 E. Lincoln Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85016-1215
Client Banking Services
WebsiteNotify online→
Verified Jul 2026
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