What to do when a Corning Credit Union account holder dies
Report the death to Corning Credit Union's Reporting a Member's Passing at 1-800-677-8506
The Reporting a Member's Passing at Corning Credit Union coordinates account transitions after a member's death. How each account is handled depends on its setup: POD and trust accounts transfer automatically, while solely-owned accounts typically require court authorization through Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
Death claim process
To file a claim after an account holder's death, here is what Corning Credit Union requires:
Filing a claim
- Phone: 1-800-677-8506, Mon-Fri 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. ET, Sat 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. ET
- In a branch: any CCU location
- Email: mailus@corningfcu.org. CCU asks members not to include account numbers, Social Security numbers or other identifying details in email
- Full name of the deceased person
- Date of passing
- Name, address and telephone number of the person reporting
- That person's relationship to the deceased
- The Main Office in Corning NY
- The North Carolina Regional Office in Wilmington NC
- The Chambersburg Branch PA
- The Greencastle Branch PA
Required Documents
- Full name of the deceased person and the date of passing, on the initial report
- Name, address, telephone number and relationship of the person reporting, on the initial report
- Death certificate, depending on the account typeCCU asks for a copy, not a certified original. It is not required on the initial report.
- Letters of Administration or Letters Testamentary, where the account has no surviving joint owner, payable-on-death beneficiary or trustCCU names Letters of Administration.
- Government-issued photo ID, for the claimant, beneficiary, joint owner or personal representative
- Trust instrument or certification of trust, and the trust TIN, for a Trust Account
- IRA beneficiary distribution election paperwork, for a retirement account
- CCU account number and unexpired government ID, for a Medallion Signature Guarantee on inherited securitiesID for all owners, who are present together.
- Account statement less than 3 months old, for a Medallion Signature Guarantee on inherited securitiesShowing ownership and value or share count.
- Transfer documents, completed but unsigned, for a Medallion Signature Guarantee on inherited securitiesError-free, with a brokerage letter of intent if one is required.
- Proof of signing authority, for a Medallion Signature Guarantee on inherited securitiesSuch as the death certificate, Letters of Office or trust documents.
What happens to each kind of account8
- Joint account with survivorship
The surviving owner keeps the account.1
- Payable-on-death account
CCU says the funds go to the designated beneficiaries "upon the passing of all account owners", which "allows funds to be disbursed without going through the probate process". This covers POD and Totten Trust designations.1
- Trust account
The successor trustee continues to operate the account on the trust's authority.1
- Account in one name
With no surviving owner and no beneficiary, Letters of Administration or Letters Testamentary are needed, and an executor would open a CCU Estate Account.1
- Fiduciary account
CCU's Estate Account is "set up by executors or administrators to accumulate the funds for an estate after a person passes away." It is used to collect funds and pay them to creditors and beneficiaries.2
- IRA
IRA beneficiaries complete distribution election paperwork with CCU.1
- Investment account
Investment accounts held through CCU Wealth Strategies are Raymond James accounts and are settled separately from the CCU accounts.1
- Credit card
A CCU Visa card can be frozen immediately through the mobile app or online banking while the balance is worked out.1
State law on paying a balance without lettersNew York, Pennsylvania
- New York
N.Y. SCPA § 1310
New York law permits a credit union to pay from a deceased member's balance on an affidavit made under oath, without letters testamentary or letters of administration.N.Y. SCPA § 1310Verified Oct 3, 2026View source
Paid to: surviving spouse
Limit: $30,000 in total from every holder
When: forthwith
Paid to: surviving spouse, children eighteen or older, either parent, brother or sister, niece or nephew, or at their request a creditor or the person who paid the funeral expense
Limit: $15,000 in total from every holder
When: not less than thirty days after the death
Paid to: a distributee, a creditor, or the person who paid the funeral expenses
Limit: $5,000 held at the institution and $5,000 in total from every holder
When: not less than 6 months after the death
The section permits the payment. It does not require the credit union to make it. The section sets further conditions.
- Pennsylvania
20 Pa.C.S. § 3101(b)
Pennsylvania law directs a credit union to pay from a deceased member's balance on an affidavit, without letters testamentary or letters of administration.20 Pa.C.S. § 3101(b)Verified Oct 3, 2026View source
Limit: $20,000 held at the institution
When: at any time after the death of a depositor, member or certificate holder
Paid to: the spouse; any child; the father or mother; any sister or brother
The section sets further conditions.
Accounts handled elsewhere1
- CCU Wealth Strategies (Raymond James)
Investment accounts held through CCU Wealth Strategies1
Phone: 1-607-937-5292
What Corning Credit Union's agreement and guidance say1
- Fees
A research fee is possible when Medallion Signature Guarantee documents need extra review.1
Not in Corning Credit Union's published guidance1
- How long a claim takes
Sources2
Corning Credit Union's Reporting a Member's Passing can be reached by phone at 1-800-677-8506 and email at mailus@corningfcu.org for questions throughout the claims process.
Sources
Data sourced from Corning Credit Union primary sources (16 pages reviewed). How we research.
Corning Credit Union death claims support
Reporting a Member's Passing (Member Services)
Phone
Toll-free
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Mailing address
Website
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