What to do when an Educators CU account holder dies
Report the death to Educators CU at 1-262-886-5900
After a member of Educators CU dies, Educators CU manages the transfer of accounts. POD-designated and trust-owned accounts pass directly to beneficiaries. Accounts held solely in the member's name may require probate court documents—Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration—before funds can be released.
Gather the account holder's full name, date of birth, and any known account or policy numbers before contacting Educators CU.
Death claim process
Follow these steps to file a death claim with Educators CU:
Filing a claim
Required Documents
- Legal documentation or court order establishing the fiduciary's authority, to open an estate accountProvided when the account is opened.
- Indemnity from the person claiming the funds, where ECU requires one
What happens to each kind of account6
- Account in one name
An individual account goes to the legal representative of the owner's estate, or to the POD beneficiary if one was designated, or otherwise according to Wisconsin law.1
- Joint account with survivorship
A joint account has rights of survivorship by default. All sums pass to the surviving owners, subject to the credit union's statutory lien for the deceased owner's obligations and any security interest or pledge the deceased owner granted.1
- Joint account without survivorship
On a joint account without rights of survivorship, the deceased owner's interest passes to his or her estate.1
- Payable-on-death account
A POD account is payable to all surviving POD beneficiaries, in equal shares without rights of survivorship when more than one survives.1
- Fiduciary account
An estate account is a fiduciary account and is opened at a branch, not through the online application.1, 2
Any legal documentation or court order must be provided when a fiduciary account is opened. ECU may require documentation that the fiduciary has authority to open, close or withdraw funds.1
- Certificate of deposit
At the credit union's option, a share certificate may be paid before maturity without an early withdrawal penalty when an account owner dies.3
What Educators CU's agreement and guidance say3
- Payments after the death
ECU may continue to pay checks, drafts and other payments authorized by the deceased member for ten days after the death, unless a person claiming an interest in the account instructs it to stop payment.1
- Indemnity a claimant may have to give
ECU may require anyone claiming a deceased owner's account funds to indemnify it for losses resulting from honoring that claim.1
- Dormant and unclaimed accounts
Dormant or inactive accounts are charged $5 per month after 18 months of inactivity. Accounts with a share certificate, IRA, or active loan or credit card account are excluded.4
Not in Educators CU's published guidance2
- A procedure for reporting a death
- A claim form
Sources
(1)·
Data sourced from Educators CU primary sources (15 pages reviewed). How we research.
Educators CU death claims support
Educators Credit Union Member Services
Phone
Toll-Free
ASK EVA automated account line
Lost/Stolen Cards (Voice Recognition Unit)
Hours
Mailing address
Website
Death notifications go through general customer service.
Estate planning articles
Learn how to protect your Educators CU accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
Is this your situation?
Get a complete guide for your specific circumstances.
Forms for Settling an Estate
Free forms for settling an estate: probate petition, small estate affidavit, creditor notice and closing forms. Prepare each form for your state.
Affidavit of Death
Put a joint owner's or a transfer on death deed owner's death on the land records with the affidavit your state's statute names, laid out for recording.
IRS Form 56
Notify the IRS that you are the fiduciary of an estate, a trust or a person, or end a notice filed before, on the official form.
Digital Assets Recovery Letter
Prepare a letter requesting a deceased person's online accounts, points, and balances from the program that holds them.
Petition for Probate and Letters
Open probate and ask the court to appoint you and issue Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
Notice to Creditors
Notify estate creditors and start the claim period — the published notice plus mailed copies for known creditors.
Renunciation of Executor
Decline an appointment as executor named in a will — the writing filed with the court before anyone is appointed.
Tools for Settling an Estate
Free tools for settling an estate: whether probate is needed, executor and trustee pay, creditor deadlines and taxes. Run each tool for your state.
How Many Death Certificates Do I Need?
Calculate how many certified death certificates you need and see ordering info for your state.
Do I Need Probate?
Find out if an estate needs probate or qualifies for simplified procedures.
What Happens to Jointly Owned Property When an Owner Dies?
See what your state records when a joint tenant with right of survivorship dies: an affidavit, the death certificate or a new deed.
Do I Have to File Tax Returns for Someone Who Died?
Find out which tax returns need to be filed after someone dies and whether tax clearance is required.
How Do I Settle an Estate?
Personalized plan for settling an estate after someone passes away.
What Do I Do When Someone Dies?
A step-by-step checklist for the days, weeks, and months after a death, with state rules noted where they apply.
