What to do when an Empower account holder dies
Report the death to Empower's Beneficiary Support Services at 1-866-442-3888
What happens to Empower retirement accounts after the account holder dies depends on how each account was titled. Beneficiary-designated and trust-owned accounts transfer directly. Accounts in the deceased's name alone go through the estate, and the executor or administrator works with Empower's Beneficiary Support Services (1-866-442-3888) to claim the funds.
Death claim process
Here is the step-by-step death claim process at Empower:
Filing a claim
- Regular mail: Empower, PO Box 173764, Denver, CO 80217-3764
- Express mail: Empower, 8515 E. Orchard Road, Greenwood Village, CO 80111
- Fax: 866-633-5212
Required Documents
- Death certificateEmpower asks for a copy of the death certificate to begin the claim; it serves as official notice.
- Report of a Death of an American Citizen Abroad, if the participant died outside the United StatesEmpower's plan-sponsor overview says this takes the place of a traditional death certificate.
- Deceased person's Social Security numberOptional on the Notification form.
- Additional documentation, if the beneficiary is an estate or a trusteeEmpower's plan-sponsor overview says additional documentation may be required to certify these beneficiaries.
Claims Contact
Website: Online portal →
Forms Empower issues3
- Notification form (online)
Completed by the person reporting the death. Completed online.1
- Notification form (PDF, GEN-FLY-WF-2148000-1122)
Completed by the person reporting the death. Available to download.2
- Death Benefit Claim Request form
Completed by the beneficiary. Sent by the institution on request.3
What happens to each kind of account2
- Employer retirement plan
When Empower is notified that the holder of a work retirement account has died, the account is secured to protect it. Beneficiaries are identified and accounts are created in their names; they can then request a distribution.1
Empower's plan-sponsor overview says the assets move into a new account in the beneficiary's name, called a Takeover Account, which copies the participant's investment allocation or, if there was none, uses the plan default.3
Where the plan does not say how a defaulted plan loan is handled at death, Empower's standard procedure is to offset the defaulted loan under the participant's Social Security number.3
- Joint account with survivorship
The Empower Personal Cash agreement holds a joint account as "joint tenants with right of survivorship": on one holder's death, that holder's entire interest passes to the surviving joint holders.4
Accounts handled elsewhere1
- UMB Bank, N.A.
Offers the Empower Personal Cash program; its agreement asks the estate to give UMB notice of the death4
Phone: 1-888-648-8563
Email: EmpowerPersonalCash@umb.com
What Empower's agreement and guidance say5
- Telling the institution
Empower accepts official notice of death from any individual with knowledge of or involvement in the claim, and from plan administrators.1
For an employer plan, Empower's plan-sponsor overview says processing cannot begin until it receives official notification of death, "typically an original or certified copy of the death certificate".3
The same overview says the certificate must list a cause of death unless the state omits it, and a certificate listing the cause as "pending investigation" is not accepted.3
The Empower Personal Cash agreement says "your estate will give such notice of your death" to UMB Bank, the bank that offers the program.4
- What it does when notified
On notice of a participant's death, Empower's plan-sponsor overview says it adds the date of death, removes online access, places a disbursement hold on the account and ends active periodic payments.3
The Empower Personal Cash agreement says UMB may, before or after notice of a death, require documents, restrict access to features of the account or demand immediate repayment of amounts owed to it.4
- Payments after the death
Plan payments scheduled before the death are paid as directed. Those scheduled after it are ended, reversed if paid in the year of death, and reissued to the right claimants.3
An uncashed plan check issued before the death is reissued to the participant's estate; one issued after the death is reissued to the beneficiaries by their share of the benefit.3
- How proceeds are paid
Beneficiary Support Services helps confirmed beneficiaries understand their options, which may include opening an IRA with Empower, receiving regular payments over time, transferring funds to an existing account or receiving a check.1
- Disputes between claimants
Empower's plan-sponsor overview says the plan administrator decides any appeal of a rejected death claim and instructs Empower if the claim is approved on appeal.3
Sources4
- 1.Supporting you after a loss - Beneficiary claim
- 2.Notification form (GEN-FLY-WF-2148000-1122), ©2022
- 3.Death Claim Processing Overview
- 4.Empower Personal Cash Customer Account Agreement, Last Updated April 26, 2023
About one month from the time Empower receives all documents. It may vary with individual circumstances and how complete the documents are.
Empower's Beneficiary Support Services can be reached by phone at 1-866-442-3888 and fax at 1-866-633-5212 for questions throughout the claims process.
Sources
Data sourced from Empower primary sources (22 pages reviewed). How we research.
Empower death claims support
Beneficiary Support Services
Phone
Toll-free
UMB Bank (Empower Personal Cash accounts)
Fax
Hours
Mailing address
Website
Estate planning articles
Learn how to protect your Empower 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: the probate petition, small estate affidavit, notice to creditors, inventory, and closing forms.
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.
Affidavit of Heirship
Prepare the sworn statement of a deceased person's family history and heirs for recording in the county land records, with your state's recording instructions.
Small Estate Affidavit
Collect a small estate's property without probate — the sworn affidavit presented to banks and other holders, with a presentation letter for each.
Tools for Settling an Estate
Free tools for settling an estate: whether probate is needed, executor and trustee pay, creditor deadlines, and inheritance taxes.
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.
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.
How Much Are Estate & Inheritance Taxes?
Calculate federal estate tax, state estate tax, and inheritance tax for an estate.
