Estate planning articles
Learn how to protect your Employee Fiduciary accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
© 2026 SimplyTrust Software Inc.
Contact Employee Fiduciary — 7-step process, 7 required documents, and varies by plan complexity; typically 2-6 weeks from submission of complete documentation
Participant Support
Employee Fiduciary, LLC, 205 N. Conception St., Mobile, AL 36603
When a Employee Fiduciary account holder passes away, the next step depends on how the retirement 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 Employee Fiduciary's Participant Support (1-877-401-5100) to access and distribute the funds.
Employee Fiduciary offers an online claims portal that makes the initial filing process more straightforward. Survivors can also initiate claims by phone or by mailing documentation directly.
The death claim process at Employee Fiduciary works as follows:
Death claims are processed according to the plan document and the beneficiary designation on file. Under ERISA, the plan fiduciary (Employee Fiduciary, as plan administrator) is obligated to pay benefits in accordance with the plan documents and beneficiary designations. The plan sponsor should also be notified, as they may need to update payroll records and address any outstanding employer contributions.
How long the process takes at Employee Fiduciary: Varies by plan complexity; typically 2-6 weeks from submission of complete documentation. The most common reason for delays is missing or incomplete documentation, so submitting everything upfront is the best way to keep things moving.
Employee Fiduciary requires several documents to process a claim, including Certified copy of the death certificate, Deceased participant's Social Security number and plan information, and Government-issued ID for the beneficiary, and additional documentation depending on the account type. Certified copies are typically needed—photocopies are generally not accepted for death certificates or court documents.
No. Retirement accounts such as 401(k)s and 403(b)s cannot be retitled to a trust during the account owner's lifetime per IRS rules. Instead, name your revocable living trust as the beneficiary of the retirement account. This ensures the account passes to the trust upon your death without going through probate.
When a participant dies, the account passes to the named beneficiaries on file according to the plan document and beneficiary designation. Upon notification of death, Employee Fiduciary restricts account access for security and works with the beneficiary to gather a certified death certificate, beneficiary identification, and any required trust or estate documents. Beneficiaries can typically choose to roll the account over to an inherited IRA, take a lump-sum distribution, or elect installment payments based on plan terms and IRS rules. To begin a death claim, call (877) 401-5100, extension 1, or email support@employeefiduciary.com.
Under the SECURE Act of 2019 and SECURE 2.0, most non-spouse beneficiaries of retirement accounts (including non-eligible designated beneficiaries who are individuals or "see-through" trusts) must withdraw the entire account within 10 years of the original owner's death. Eligible designated beneficiaries (surviving spouses, minor children of the participant, disabled or chronically ill individuals, and beneficiaries not more than 10 years younger than the participant) can still stretch distributions over their life expectancy. A trust must be drafted to qualify as a "see-through" trust to receive look-through treatment. Consult an estate attorney before naming a trust as beneficiary of an Employee Fiduciary retirement account.
Employee Fiduciary's Participant Support can be reached by phone at 1-877-401-5100, email at support@employeefiduciary.com, and fax at 1-251-436-0801 for questions throughout the claims process.
If the deceased held multiple Employee Fiduciary retirement accounts, each may require a separate claim or have different documentation requirements. The Participant Support can confirm which accounts require individual attention and which can be processed together.
Participant Support
Employee Fiduciary, LLC, 205 N. Conception St., Mobile, AL 36603
Learn how to protect your Employee Fiduciary accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
Learn how to protect your Employee Fiduciary accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
