What to do when a Dodge & Cox account holder dies
Report the death to Dodge & Cox's Select Services team at 1-800-621-3979
After an account holder at Dodge & Cox 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 Dodge & Cox's Select Services team at 1-800-621-3979 with the proper legal authority documents.
Death claim process
To file a claim after an account holder's death, here is what Dodge & Cox requires:
Filing a claim
- TOD account: the named beneficiary provides a death certificate and valid government-issued ID, then completes the Inheritance Form
- IRA with a named beneficiary: the beneficiary elects a distribution method on the Inherited IRA Kit
- Account without a beneficiary designation: Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration from the probate court
- Trust-titled account: the successor trustee provides a death certificate, the trust document and trustee identification
- The executor, appointed representative or beneficiary gets a Medallion Signature Guarantee in Part 3; a notary public cannot provide it
- Send a copy of the court appointment of the executor, personal representative or administrator; Dodge & Cox must receive it within 180 days of its certification
- Include a state inheritance tax waiver if the law of the deceased owner's state of residence requires one
- Attach an Account Application if the recipient does not already hold the Fund, and a Redemption Request Form if the shares will be redeemed on transfer
- If the account is split among several beneficiaries, complete a separate Inheritance Form, and Account Application if needed, for each beneficiary
Required Documents
- Notification of Death formSubmitted online or by mail, or provided by Dodge & Cox.
- Death certificate, with the online Notification of DeathThe online notification asks for "a death certificate", uploaded with the form.
- Certified death certificate, to notify Dodge & Cox by letter instead of the formThe letter also carries the beneficiary contact information.
- Certified copy of the death certificate, to confirm whether you are a named beneficiary
- Government-issued photo ID, for the beneficiary, executor or successor trustee
- Inheritance Form, to claim inherited Fund shares outside an IRAPart 3 requires a Medallion Signature Guarantee. The form asks for no death certificate.
- Medallion Signature Guarantee, on Part 3 of the Inheritance FormA notary public cannot provide it. It must come from a bank, broker or other institution in a Securities Transfer Association Medallion program.
- Medallion Signature Guarantee or a certified death certificate, on the Change of Ownership FormA certified death certificate is the alternative to the guarantee, not an extra document.
- Copy of the court appointment of the executor, personal representative or administratorDodge & Cox must receive it within 180 days of its certification by the court.
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration, if there is no beneficiary designation and probate is required
- State inheritance tax waiver, if the law of the deceased owner's state of residence requires one
- Inherited IRA Kit, for an IRA beneficiary establishing an inherited IRA
- Trust document and trustee identification, for a trust-titled account, or where a trust is the named beneficiaryThe successor trustee provides them with a death certificate.
- Account Application or Redemption Request Form, an Account Application if the recipient does not hold the Fund; a Redemption Request Form if the shares are redeemed on transferThe Account Application, including Part 3C for opening an estate account, asks for no death certificate.
Claims Contact
Website: Online portal →
Forms Dodge & Cox issues5
- Notification of Death form
Completed online.1
- Inheritance Form (Instructions for Transferring Shares due to Inheritance)
Completed by the executor, appointed representative or beneficiary. Available to download.2
- Inherited IRA Kit
Completed by the IRA beneficiary. Available to download.3
- Change of Ownership Form
Available to download.4
- Account Application
Completed by the recipient of the shares, or the estate (Part 3C). Available to download.5
What happens to each kind of account2
- Investment account
Inherited shares transfer within the same Fund. If the heir does not already own that Fund, an Account Application must go with the Inheritance Form.2
- IRA
A non-spouse beneficiary of a Traditional, Roth or SEP IRA may transfer it to an inherited IRA. Dodge & Cox also says: "As an alternative of liquidating, you can transfer the inherited IRA funds to a non-retirement account at Dodge & Cox Funds."6
A spouse beneficiary may transfer the account into their own new or existing IRA and treat it as their own, or transfer it to an inherited IRA.6
Accounts handled elsewhere2
What Dodge & Cox's agreement and guidance say4
- What it does when notified
"The deceased's accounts will be secured and access will be restricted." A team member then contacts you within 3 business days to verify details and discuss next steps.6
Dodge & Cox also contacts the beneficiaries on file, and encourages beneficiaries to contact it.6
- Who can get account information
Client Services confirms whether you are a named beneficiary only against a certified copy of the death certificate.6
- What it says about taxes
Dodge & Cox uses the fair market value of the inherited shares on the date of death as the cost basis, unless you give alternate instructions with documentation of an alternate valuation date.6
The cost-basis choice is one-way: "Once processed, you will NOT be able to change the tax lots used to fulfill the request."6
- Indemnity a claimant may have to give
In Part 3 of the Inheritance Form the signer affirms, under penalties of perjury, that "there are no known disputes or competing claims that would affect the transfer of ownership", and holds harmless Dodge & Cox, Dodge & Cox Funds, SS&C GIDS, Inc. and State Street Bank and Trust Company.2
Funds are typically transferred within 1-2 weeks after the Life Events Transition Team reviews the completed paperwork.
Dodge & Cox's Select Services team can be reached by phone at 1-800-621-3979 for questions throughout the claims process.
Sources
Data sourced from Dodge & Cox primary sources (15 pages reviewed). How we research.
Dodge & Cox death claims support
Select Services team
Phone
Toll-free
Hours
Mailing address
Website
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