What to do when a Global Atlantic account holder dies
Contact Global Atlantic's Preneed & Estate Services — 7-step process, 7 required documents, and 30-60 days from receipt of all required documentation. preneed claims may be processed more quickly when coordinated through the funeral home. state laws may require payment within a specific timeframe once all documentation is received.
Customer Service
Phone1-877-462-8992
Annuity Service Center
Preneed & Final Expense
Financial Professionals (833-ASK-GA4U)
Commonwealth Annuity accounts
WebsiteLearn more→
Life Insurance Claims
Phone1-800-331-8853
Toll-Free1-800-331-8853
Emailask.us@gafg.com
Fax1-888-425-2463
Mailing Address
Forethought Life Insurance Company, 123 Town Square Place, PMB711, Jersey City, NJ 07310
Annuity Death Benefit Claims
Commonwealth Annuity Claims
Preneed Claims Fax
WebsiteNotify online→
Verified May 2026
When an insured person dies, the beneficiary or executor should contact Global Atlantic's Preneed & Estate Services at 1-800-331-8853 to start the claims process. Insurance proceeds are paid directly to the named beneficiary and do not go through probate. How quickly the claim is processed depends on the policy type, documentation, and cause of death.
Death claims at Global Atlantic 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
To file a claim after an account holder's death, here is what Global Atlantic requires:
Filing a claim
1
Locate the Global Atlantic / Forethought Life / Accordia Life policy or annuity contract and note the policy or contract number
2
Obtain certified copies of the death certificate from the local vital records office
3
Contact the appropriate claims department to initiate the claim:
- For life insurance claims: call 800-331-8853, option 5 (Monday-Friday, 8:00am-7:00pm ET)
- For annuity death benefit claims: call the Annuity Service Center at 866-645-2449
- For preneed life insurance claims: contact the funeral home or call 800-331-8853
4
Global Atlantic will provide the Life Insurance Claim Form / Statement of Beneficiary to the designated beneficiary
5
Complete the claim form with the deceased's information, policy details, and beneficiary information
6
Gather and submit required documentation:
- Submit a certified death certificate with the claim (required for underwritten policies, policies within two years of issue, accidental death, or suicide)
- Provide government-issued identification for the beneficiary
- If a trust is the beneficiary, include trust documents and trustee identification
- If the estate is the beneficiary, include letters testamentary or letters of administration
7
Submit the completed claim:
- Global Atlantic offers electronic claim submission for expedited processing
- Mail completed claim forms and documents to: Forethought Life Insurance Company, 123 Town Square Place, PMB711, Jersey City, NJ 07310
Required Documents
- Completed Life Insurance Claim Form / Statement of Beneficiary (Form 216779 for Forethought Life; Form 17003 for Accordia Life; Form 17003(FANY) for First Allmerica)
- Certified death certificate (required for underwritten policies, policies within 2 years of issue, accidental death, or suicide)
- Government-issued photo ID for the beneficiary
- Policy or contract number and deceased's personal information
- Trust documents and trustee identification (if trust is the beneficiary)
- Letters testamentary or letters of administration (if estate is the beneficiary)
- Original policy document (if available)
Life insurance claims: 800-331-8853 option 5. Annuity death benefit claims: Annuity Service Center at 866-645-2449. Commonwealth Annuity accounts: 800-457-8803. Preneed claims: contact the funeral home or call 800-331-8853; preneed mailing: Forethought Life Insurance Company, Attn: Preneed New Business, One Forethought Center, Batesville, IN 47006. Preneed claim payments can be received via direct deposit by faxing the completed Automatic Claim Deposit form and a voided check to 800-320-3291. Electronic claim submission is available for expedited processing.
How long the process takes at Global Atlantic: 30-60 days from receipt of all required documentation. Preneed claims may be processed more quickly when coordinated through the funeral home. State laws may require payment within a specific timeframe once all documentation is received. The most common reason for delays is missing or incomplete documentation, so submitting everything upfront is the best way to keep things moving.
Documentation required by Global Atlantic includes Completed Life Insurance Claim Form / Statement of Beneficiary (Form 216779 for Forethought Life; Form 17003 for Accordia Life; Form 17003(FANY) for First Allmerica), Certified death certificate (required for underwritten policies, policies within 2 years of issue, accidental death, or suicide), and Government-issued photo ID for the beneficiary, along with additional paperwork that varies by account type. All death certificates and court documents must be certified copies.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Global Atlantic acquired several legacy life and annuity blocks: Forethought Financial Group (2014), the Aviva USA individual life block now administered through Accordia Life and Annuity Company (2013), and Commonwealth Annuity and Life Insurance Company (acquired from The Goldman Sachs Group, 2013). First Allmerica Financial Life Insurance Company contracts are also serviced under the Global Atlantic family. Beneficiary changes, ownership changes, and death claims on those legacy policies all flow through the same Global Atlantic customer service lines, but the routing differs by contract prefix. Life insurance: 877-462-8992. Annuities: 866-645-2449. Commonwealth Annuity contracts starting with 408, 409, or 509: 800-457-8803. Preneed: 800-331-8853.
For non-spouse beneficiaries of qualified annuities (IRA/qualified plans) inherited after January 1, 2020, the SECURE Act generally requires the full inherited balance to be distributed within 10 years (the 10-year rule). Eligible Designated Beneficiaries -- surviving spouses, minor children of the owner (until age 21), disabled or chronically ill individuals, and beneficiaries not more than 10 years younger than the deceased -- can still stretch payments over life expectancy. Non-qualified annuities follow Section 72(s) of the Internal Revenue Code: payouts must begin within one year and finish within five years for non-spouse beneficiaries, or can be annuitized over life expectancy. Spouse beneficiaries may continue the contract. To begin a death benefit claim on a Global Atlantic annuity, call the Annuity Service Center at 866-645-2449.
Yes. Even though Global Atlantic suspended new IUL sales in July 2023, existing policyholders can still transfer ownership to an ILIT. The trustee of the ILIT must be the actual owner shown on the contract -- naming the trust only as beneficiary is not enough to remove the death benefit from your taxable estate. Download the Ownership Change Request for Life Policies form (Form 15028) from globalatlantic.com/life-insurance/resources-and-forms or call 877-462-8992. If an existing policy is transferred to an ILIT, a three-year lookback applies for federal estate tax purposes under IRC 2035 -- if the insured dies within three years of the transfer, the death benefit is pulled back into the taxable estate. Global Atlantic does not establish ILITs; work with an estate attorney.
For life insurance claims call 800-331-8853 option 5 (Mon-Fri 8am-7pm ET). For annuity death benefit claims call the Annuity Service Center at 866-645-2449. For Commonwealth Annuity contracts (prefixes 408/409/509) call 800-457-8803. For preneed claims, the funeral home typically initiates the claim, or call 800-331-8853. Global Atlantic will provide the Life Insurance Claim Form / Statement of Beneficiary (Form 216779 for Forethought Life, Form 17003 for Accordia Life, Form 17003(FANY) for First Allmerica). Submit the completed form with a certified death certificate, government photo ID for the beneficiary, the policy or contract number, and -- if a trust or estate is the beneficiary -- trust documents and trustee ID or Letters Testamentary. Mail to: Forethought Life Insurance Company, 123 Town Square Place, PMB711, Jersey City, NJ 07310. Electronic claim submission is also available.
Global Atlantic's Life Insurance Claims can be reached by phone at 1-800-331-8853, email at ask.us@gafg.com, and fax at 1-888-425-2463 for questions throughout the claims process.
When the deceased had multiple Global Atlantic policies, some may need separate claims while others can be handled together. The Preneed & Estate Services can clarify what's needed for each account type.
Customer Service
Phone1-877-462-8992
Annuity Service Center
Preneed & Final Expense
Financial Professionals (833-ASK-GA4U)
Commonwealth Annuity accounts
WebsiteLearn more→
Life Insurance Claims
Phone1-800-331-8853
Toll-Free1-800-331-8853
Emailask.us@gafg.com
Fax1-888-425-2463
Mailing Address
Forethought Life Insurance Company, 123 Town Square Place, PMB711, Jersey City, NJ 07310
Annuity Death Benefit Claims
Commonwealth Annuity Claims
Preneed Claims Fax
WebsiteNotify online→
Verified May 2026
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