What to do when a Golden 1 account holder dies
Contact Golden 1's Deposit Account Servicing - Member Beneficiary Support — 12-step process, 10 required documents, and pod beneficiaries can access funds upon providing required documentation. non-pod accounts depend on probate timeline.
Member Service Contact Center
Golden 1 Credit Union, P.O. Box 15966, Sacramento, CA 95852
Deposit Account Servicing - Member Beneficiary Support
Golden 1 Credit Union, Deposit Account Servicing, P.O. Box 15966, Sacramento, CA 95852, Attn: Member Beneficiary Support
Deposit Account Servicing - Member Beneficiary Support
Golden 1 Credit Union, Deposit Account Servicing, P.O. Box 15966, Sacramento, CA 95852, Attn: Member Beneficiary Support
The Deposit Account Servicing - Member Beneficiary Support at Golden 1 coordinates account transitions after a member's death. How each account is handled depends on its setup: POD and trust accounts transfer automatically, while solely-owned accounts typically require court authorization through Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
Golden 1 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.
Death claim process
The death claim process at Golden 1 works as follows:
Filing a claim
- Provide a certified copy of the death certificate and valid government-issued photo ID
- Receive your portion of available funds without waiting for probate
- The account can be changed to a single account in the surviving owner's name
- IRA and Certificate Account Servicing handles IRA distributions; reach them via the main number 1-877-465-3361
- An employee will contact the designated beneficiary to discuss distribution of IRA assets and complete required election forms
- Deliver written notice of the trustee's death. Under Golden 1's Trust Account Agreement (Form C-3), the death or resignation of a trustee or trustor does not revoke Golden 1's authority to act until written notice has been presented and Golden 1 has had a reasonable opportunity to act on it
- The successor trustee provides a Certification of Trust (Cal. Prob. Code Section 18100.5) or the permissible trust pages naming them, plus photo ID: https://www.golden1.com/-/media/golden1/site-documents/deceased-member-forms/certification_of_trust-fillable.pdf
- To close the trust account, Golden 1 requires its Trust Closure Form: https://www.golden1.com/-/media/golden1/site-documents/deceased-member-forms/trust_closure_form-fillable.pdf
- A court-appointed legal representative (executor/administrator) must provide Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration
- Small estates: a successor in interest may instead file Golden 1's "Declaration Pursuant to Probate Code Sections 13100, 13101" (Form AS-120), the credit union's own California small-estate affidavit: https://www.golden1.com/-/media/golden1/site-documents/deceased-member-forms/small_estate_affidavit-fillable.pdf
- Minor beneficiaries ($5,000 or less): a parent/guardian completes Golden 1's Affidavit for Minor's Estate: https://www.golden1.com/-/media/golden1/site-documents/deceased-member-forms/affidavitforminorsestateaffidavitfillable.pdf
- An executor or administrator who needs a deposit account for estate funds can open one at Golden 1 using its Memorial or Estate Account application: https://www.golden1.com/-/media/golden1/site-documents/deceased-member-forms/estate_applicaiton.pdf
- Box held jointly: the surviving box holder keeps unrestricted access at all times
- Box in the decedent's name alone: immediate access is limited to a public administrator or a person who has a key to the box, subject to California Probate Code Section 331 (which permits opening the box only to look for a will or burial instructions, with an inventory)
- Full access otherwise requires a court-appointed executor or administrator, or a person eligible to complete the Declaration Pursuant to California Probate Code Sections 13100, 13101
- Golden 1 states in its Deceased Members Accounts FAQ (MS-45) that once it is notified of the death, government benefits for the deceased -- Social Security, VA, SSI -- will stop and/or be returned
- Payments deposited for periods after the date of death are returned to the paying agency, so do not distribute against them
Required Documents
- Certified copy of death certificate
- Valid government-issued photo ID for claimant (driver's license, state ID, or passport)
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (if no POD designation)
- Trust documents (if trust is beneficiary) - permissible pages or Certification of Trust
- Written notice of the trustee's or trustor's death (trust accounts - Golden 1's authority to act under the Trust Account Agreement continues until it receives written notice)
- Declaration Pursuant to Probate Code Sections 13100, 13101 (Golden 1 Form AS-120, for qualifying small estates under Cal. Prob. Code 13100 et seq.)
- Affidavit for Minor's Estate (Golden 1 form, for minor beneficiaries receiving $5,000 or less)
- Court order or probate documents (if applicable)
- Membership Application for the beneficiary or successor trustee, as applicable
- Memorial or Estate Account application (if the estate representative needs an estate account at Golden 1)
Claims Contact
What to know at this institution
A case number is assigned upon notification and must be referenced -- along with the decedent's name and account number -- on every document submitted. After the case is opened, Golden 1 provides a phone number for the Deposit Account Servicing specialist who guides the claimant through document collection. Joint account holders may add a new joint owner or convert to a single account. IRA beneficiaries are contacted separately by Golden 1's IRA and Certificate Account Servicing team. Safe deposit box access is available to beneficiaries, executors, administrators, or persons eligible for a Small Estate Affidavit. Golden 1's Deceased Members Accounts FAQ (MS-45) states that once Golden 1 is notified of the death, government benefits for the deceased (Social Security, VA, SSI) will stop and/or be returned to the paying agency. Golden 1 publishes its own California small-estate declaration (Form AS-120, Declaration Pursuant to Probate Code Sections 13100, 13101), an Affidavit for Minor's Estate for minor beneficiaries receiving $5,000 or less, and a Memorial or Estate Account application an executor can use to open an estate account at the credit union. Trust accounts have a written-notice trap: under the Trust Account Agreement (Form C-3), the death of a trustee or trustor does not revoke Golden 1's authority to act until written notice is presented and Golden 1 has had a reasonable opportunity to act on it. Deposit Account Servicing: 1-877-465-3361 ext. 5590, Mon-Fri 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. PT, P.O. Box 15966, Sacramento, CA 95852, Attn: Member Beneficiary Support.
Prepare your letter of instruction to Golden 1
Golden 1 accepts a claimant-drafted letter of instruction. We draft it for you — addressed to Golden 1's verified claims department, with the documents it requires enclosed.
Build your letter of instructionHow long the process takes at Golden 1: POD beneficiaries can access funds upon providing required documentation. Non-POD accounts depend on probate timeline. The most common reason for delays is missing or incomplete documentation, so submitting everything upfront is the best way to keep things moving.
Golden 1 requires several documents to process a claim, including Certified copy of death certificate, Valid government-issued photo ID for claimant (driver's license, state ID, or passport), and Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (if no POD designation), 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
Call Golden 1 Deposit Account Servicing at 1-877-465-3361 (1-877-GOLDEN 1), ext. 5590, Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. PT. Golden 1 opens a case and assigns a case number, then gives you the phone number of the specialist handling it. Every document you send afterward must carry the decedent's name, the account number, and the case number. Documents go in person to a branch, by mail to Golden 1 Deposit Account Servicing, P.O. Box 15966, Sacramento, CA 95852, Attn: Member Beneficiary Support, or to the secure email address the specialist gives you. Forms are at https://www.golden1.com/deceasedmemberaccounts.
Yes. Golden 1's Deceased Members Accounts FAQ (MS-45) states that once Golden 1 is notified of the death, government benefits for the deceased -- Social Security, VA, and SSI -- will stop and/or be returned. Benefit payments covering periods after the date of death go back to the paying agency, not to the estate or the POD beneficiary. Executors should not count those deposits as estate assets or distribute against them, even if they appear in the balance when the account is first reviewed.
Yes, and Golden 1 publishes its own form for it: the "Declaration Pursuant to Probate Code Sections 13100, 13101" (Form AS-120), on its deceased-member forms page. Under California Probate Code 13100, for deaths on or after April 1, 2025, a successor in interest may collect personal property without full probate when the gross value of the decedent's California estate (excluding property listed in Probate Code 13050) does not exceed $208,850 -- the figure set by the Judicial Council on Form DE-300, adjusted every three years; the prior $184,500 limit applies to deaths from April 1, 2022 through March 31, 2025. A California driver's license, state ID, or passport is required for identity verification. Golden 1 also has an Affidavit for Minor's Estate for a minor beneficiary receiving $5,000 or less.
Give Golden 1 WRITTEN notice of the trustee's death first. Golden 1's Trust Account Agreement (Form C-3) provides that the death or resignation of a trustee or trustor does not revoke Golden 1's authority to act under the agreement until written notice has been presented and Golden 1 has had a reasonable opportunity to act on it -- until then, the credit union may keep honoring instructions under the prior authority. Then provide a Certification of Trust under California Probate Code Section 18100.5 (or the permissible trust pages and amendments) naming you as successor, valid photo ID, and a membership application if you are not already a member. Closing the trust account requires Golden 1's separate Trust Closure Form. The Trust Account Agreement also has trustees indemnify Golden 1 against claims arising from business transacted on the account.
Deposit accounts use the Beneficiary Designation Form, returned by mail or in person at a branch with a copy of photo ID for every account owner, signed by every account owner; beneficiaries cannot be added or changed in online or mobile banking, or by phone. Submitting the form cancels and revokes all previous designations on that account, so list everyone you want each time, with percentages totaling 100. IRAs are separate: their beneficiaries live on the IRA application, not on the Beneficiary Designation Form. After a death is reported, Golden 1's IRA and Certificate Account Servicing team contacts the IRA beneficiary on file directly to discuss distribution and complete election forms, without waiting for probate.
Golden 1's Deposit Account Servicing - Member Beneficiary Support can be reached by phone at 1-877-465-3361 for questions throughout the claims process.
Multiple Golden 1 accounts may mean multiple claims. Some account types can be processed together, but others require their own documentation. Check with the Deposit Account Servicing - Member Beneficiary Support to confirm what applies.
Sources
Data sourced from Golden 1 primary sources (22 pages reviewed). How we research.
Member Service Contact Center
Golden 1 Credit Union, P.O. Box 15966, Sacramento, CA 95852
Deposit Account Servicing - Member Beneficiary Support
Golden 1 Credit Union, Deposit Account Servicing, P.O. Box 15966, Sacramento, CA 95852, Attn: Member Beneficiary Support
Deposit Account Servicing - Member Beneficiary Support
Golden 1 Credit Union, Deposit Account Servicing, P.O. Box 15966, Sacramento, CA 95852, Attn: Member Beneficiary Support
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