What to do when a Edward Jones account holder dies
Contact Edward Jones's Edward Jones Trust Company — 7-step process, 6 required documents, and firm-held securities are transferred or sold generally within 72 hours of the home office receiving all necessary documents (express estates); re-registration typically completes within about 24 hours of approval.
Client Relations
Edward D. Jones & Co., L.P., 12555 Manchester Road, Saint Louis, MO 63131
Estate Services — start with the decedent's local branch; Estates Hotline for attorneys and CPAs
Edward D. Jones & Co., L.P., 12555 Manchester Road, Saint Louis, MO 63131
After an account holder at Edward Jones 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 Edward Jones's Estate Services — start with the decedent's local branch; Estates Hotline for attorneys and CPAs at 1-888-441-5475 with the proper legal authority documents.
Death claims at Edward Jones 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 Edward Jones:
Filing a claim
- Certified death certificate for the account owner (and for any beneficiary who predeceased)
- Government-issued photo ID for each claimant
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration, if the account has no TOD designation, no joint owner, and no trust title and therefore passes through probate
- An inheritance tax waiver, in states that require a waiver or consent to transfer — the TOD Agreement makes this an express condition of transfer
Required Documents
- Certified death certificate for the account owner (and for any predeceased beneficiary)
- Government-issued photo ID for each claimant
- Request for Execution of Non-probate Transfer Form — filed by each beneficiary of a Transfer on Death account; the $300 TOD fee is due when it is filed
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration, when the account passes through probate
- Inheritance tax waiver, in states that require a waiver or consent to transfer
- Certified copy of the trust agreement or Certificate of Trust, when assets pass to or are claimed by a trust
Claims Contact
What to know at this institution
Edward Jones is advisor-centric: the decedent's local branch, not a portal or a national claims center, runs the death claim for beneficiaries, executors, trustees, and personal representatives. The Account Agreement (LGL-7324V-A-E-CC) requires the decedent's Successors to give Edward Jones immediate WRITTEN notice of the death, and lets Edward Jones require documents, retain assets, and restrict transactions in the account after notice — so a family that only phones the branch should follow up in writing. The Estates Hotline (888-441-5475, Monday-Friday 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. CT) is a complimentary line for estate professionals such as attorneys and CPAs, not the family claim line. The TOD Agreement charges $300 at the time a beneficiary files the Request for Execution of Non-probate Transfer Form, deducted from account assets before distribution, and requires a certified death certificate plus an inheritance tax waiver in states that require one. Some holdings are excluded from the TOD transfer by the Agreement (variable and fixed annuities, precious metals, commodities, mutual funds not held at Edward Jones, and limited partnership interests not held in Edward Jones's nominee name other than exchange-traded partnerships) and pass through the estate or their own contract instead. If no beneficiary survives the owner by 120 hours, the owner's probate estate is the successor in interest. Order the Estate Valuation Service report (IRS Form 706 Schedule A format) through the managing branch for the date-of-death values.
Prepare your letter of instruction to Edward Jones
Edward Jones asks for a letter of instruction alongside its claim form. We prepare a transmittal cover letter and the enclosure checklist Edward Jones requires.
Build your letter of instructionExpected timelines at Edward Jones: Firm-held securities are transferred or sold generally within 72 hours of the home office receiving all necessary documents (Express Estates); re-registration typically completes within about 24 hours of approval. Delays are almost always caused by incomplete paperwork—gathering all required documents before filing the initial claim helps avoid back-and-forth.
Edward Jones requires several documents to process a claim, including Certified death certificate for the account owner (and for any predeceased beneficiary), Government-issued photo ID for each claimant, and Request for Execution of Non-probate Transfer Form — filed by each beneficiary of a Transfer on Death account; the $300 TOD fee is due when it is filed, 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
Yes, at the claim. The Transfer on Death Agreement states that the fee due to Edward Jones is $300, due at the time a designated beneficiary, a beneficiary's fiduciary, or the personal representative of the owner's probate estate files the Request for Execution of Non-probate Transfer Form. Edward Jones is authorized to deduct it from the account assets before making distributions to the beneficiaries. There is no fee to set the TOD up while you are living.
Not everything. The Transfer on Death Agreement excludes several holdings from the TOD transfer: variable annuities, fixed annuities, gold and silver and other precious metals, commodities, mutual funds not held at Edward Jones (including linked funds), and limited partnership interests not held in Edward Jones's nominee name other than exchange-traded partnerships. Those assets pass under their own contract or through the estate, so an account with a TOD on it can still leave a probate tail. Ask the advisor to list which positions the TOD actually covers.
Start with the decedent's local branch — there is no self-service online death-notification portal. The Account Agreement requires the decedent's successors to give Edward Jones immediate written notice of the death, and once notified Edward Jones may require documents, retain assets, and restrict transactions in the account, so follow the call up in writing. Bring a certified death certificate, your photo ID, and your Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration if the account passes through probate. For each TOD account, the beneficiary files the Request for Execution of Non-probate Transfer Form. Attorneys and CPAs working the estate can call the complimentary Estates Hotline at 888-441-5475, Monday through Friday 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CT.
Edward Jones's Estate Services — start with the decedent's local branch; Estates Hotline for attorneys and CPAs can be reached by phone at 1-888-441-5475 and fax at 1-877-818-0584 for questions throughout the claims process.
Multiple Edward Jones investment accounts may mean multiple claims. Some account types can be processed together, but others require their own documentation. Check with the Estate Services — start with the decedent's local branch; Estates Hotline for attorneys and CPAs to confirm what applies.
Sources
Data sourced from Edward Jones primary sources (15 pages reviewed). How we research.
Client Relations
Edward D. Jones & Co., L.P., 12555 Manchester Road, Saint Louis, MO 63131
Estate Services — start with the decedent's local branch; Estates Hotline for attorneys and CPAs
Edward D. Jones & Co., L.P., 12555 Manchester Road, Saint Louis, MO 63131
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