What to do when a D.A. Davidson account holder dies
Contact D.A. Davidson's D.A. Davidson Trust Company — 6-step process, 8 required documents, and varies by complexity. tod claims may process in days to weeks. full probate estates can take several months.
8 Third Street North, Great Falls, MT 59401
D.A. Davidson Trust Company
D.A. Davidson Trust Company, 8 Third Street North, Suite 200, Great Falls, MT 59401
Estate Settlement / Death Claims (handled via decedent's D.A. Davidson financial advisor or D.A. Davidson Trust Company)
D.A. Davidson & Co., Attn: Estate Settlement, 8 Third Street North, Great Falls, MT 59401
When an account holder at D.A. Davidson 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 D.A. Davidson's Estate Settlement / Death Claims (handled via decedent's D.A. Davidson financial advisor or D.A. Davidson Trust Company) (1-406-727-4200) to access and distribute the funds.
Gather the account holder's full name, date of birth, and any known account or policy numbers before contacting D.A. Davidson. A certified death certificate is the primary document required to start any claim.
Death claim process
To file a claim after an account holder's death, here is what D.A. Davidson requires:
Filing a claim
- Contact the decedent's D.A. Davidson financial advisor or local branch office
- If advisor is unknown, call customer service at (800) 332-5915
- Reference D.A. Davidson's "What to Do Upon the Loss of a Loved One" guide at https://www.dadavidson.com/Portals/0/Trust/PDFs/What_to_Do_Loss_of_Loved_One_2024.pdf
- Certified death certificates (multiple copies recommended)
- Government-issued ID for executor, trustee, or claimant
- Estate documents (will, trust, or court documentation as applicable)
- For TOD accounts: beneficiary presents death certificate and government ID to claim assets without probate
- For probate accounts: submit Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration and court documentation
- Estate account may be opened if needed (requires estate EIN)
Required Documents
- Certified death certificate (multiple copies)
- Government-issued ID for executor, trustee, or claimant
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (if going through probate)
- Copy of the will or trust document (if applicable)
- D.A. Davidson estate/claim forms (provided by advisor)
- Estate EIN (if opening estate account)
- Inherited IRA application (for IRA beneficiaries)
- Inheritance tax waiver (required by certain states)
Claims Contact
What to know at this institution
Contact the decedent's financial advisor first. If unknown, call main customer service at (800) 332-5915. D.A. Davidson Trust Company can serve as executor or trustee when named in estate documents. For TOD accounts, assets transfer directly to named beneficiaries without probate. D.A. Davidson publishes a "What to Do Upon the Loss of a Loved One" guide available at their website.
Prepare your letter of instruction to D.A. Davidson
D.A. Davidson asks for a letter of instruction alongside its claim form. We prepare a transmittal cover letter and the enclosure checklist D.A. Davidson requires.
Build your letter of instructionExpected timelines at D.A. Davidson: Varies by complexity. TOD claims may process in days to weeks. Full probate estates can take several months. 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 D.A. Davidson includes Certified death certificate (multiple copies), Government-issued ID for executor, trustee, or claimant, and Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (if going through probate), along with additional paperwork that varies by account type. All death certificates and court documents must be certified copies.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, but D.A. Davidson is advisor-led -- there is no self-service online retitling. Individual and joint brokerage accounts, the DADVANTAGE account, and advisory accounts can be retitled to a revocable living trust by contacting your assigned financial advisor. You will need a certified copy of your trust agreement (or Certificate of Trust), government-issued ID for all trustees, and the trust tax identification number. D.A. Davidson notes that account titling has a substantial impact on asset control and transfer at death.
Contact the decedent's D.A. Davidson financial advisor first -- the advisor (not a centralized estate department) drives the claim. If the advisor is not known, call (800) 332-5915 and request to be routed to the decedent's branch office. The advisor will freeze the account, request certified death certificates and estate documentation (will, trust, or Letters Testamentary as applicable), and walk through the claim process. D.A. Davidson publishes a "What to Do Upon the Loss of a Loved One" guide at https://www.dadavidson.com/Portals/0/Trust/PDFs/What_to_Do_Loss_of_Loved_One_2024.pdf.
For brokerage and DADVANTAGE accounts with a Transfer on Death (TOD) Agreement on file, named beneficiaries claim assets directly by presenting a certified death certificate and government-issued photo ID to the D.A. Davidson financial advisor. TOD designations bypass probate and supersede any conflicting will provisions for that account. Beneficiaries can typically open an inherited account at D.A. Davidson or transfer the assets in-kind to another firm. D.A. Davidson does not publish downloadable TOD forms -- all changes route through your advisor.
D.A. Davidson's Estate Settlement / Death Claims (handled via decedent's D.A. Davidson financial advisor or D.A. Davidson Trust Company) can be reached by phone at 1-800-332-5915, email at info@dadavidson.com, and fax at 1-406-727-1485 for questions throughout the claims process.
If the deceased held multiple D.A. Davidson investment accounts, each may require a separate claim or have different documentation requirements. The Estate Settlement / Death Claims (handled via decedent's D.A. Davidson financial advisor or D.A. Davidson Trust Company) can confirm which accounts require individual attention and which can be processed together.
Sources
Data sourced from D.A. Davidson primary sources (19 pages reviewed). How we research.
8 Third Street North, Great Falls, MT 59401
D.A. Davidson Trust Company
D.A. Davidson Trust Company, 8 Third Street North, Suite 200, Great Falls, MT 59401
Estate Settlement / Death Claims (handled via decedent's D.A. Davidson financial advisor or D.A. Davidson Trust Company)
D.A. Davidson & Co., Attn: Estate Settlement, 8 Third Street North, Great Falls, MT 59401
Estate planning articles
Learn how to protect your D.A. Davidson accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
Is this your situation?
Get a complete guide for your specific circumstances.
More tools for handling this estate
Calculators and checklists for executors and trustees.
How Much Does Probate Cost?
Estimate attorney fees, executor fees, court costs, and timeline for probating an estate in your state. See if the estate qualifies for simplified probate procedures.
How Much Can an Executor Charge?
Calculate how much an executor (personal representative) can charge for administering an estate. See if your state has statutory fees or uses reasonable compensation.
Who Inherits Without a Will?
Find out who inherits your estate and how much they get if you die without a will. Based on your state's intestate succession laws.
What's Fair Trustee Compensation?
Find out what's fair compensation for serving as trustee. Compare family, professional, and corporate trustee rates based on your situation.
How Much Are Estate & Inheritance Taxes?
Calculate federal estate tax, state estate tax (12 states + DC), and inheritance tax (5 states) for an estate or trust.
How Many Death Certificates Do I Need?
Calculate how many certified death certificates you need based on the assets and accounts you need to close. See state-specific ordering information.
