What to do when a Inspira Financial account holder dies
Contact Inspira Financial — 9-step process, 6 required documents, and allow 5-10 business days for distribution processing after all documentation is received and verified.
Client Services
Phone1-800-258-7878
Toll-Free1-877-682-4727
Fax630-472-5395
Mailing Address
Inspira Financial Trust, LLC, 2001 Spring Road, Suite 700, Oak Brook, IL 60523
WebsiteLearn more→
Client Services
Phone1-800-258-7878
Toll-Free1-877-682-4727
Fax630-472-5395
Mailing Address
Inspira Financial Trust, LLC, 2001 Spring Road, Suite 700, Oak Brook, IL 60523
WebsiteLearn more→
Beneficiary Claims / Client Services
Phone1-800-258-7878
Fax630-472-5395
Mailing Address
Inspira Financial Trust, LLC, 2001 Spring Road, Suite 700, Oak Brook, IL 60523
WebsiteNotify online→
Verified Jul 2026
What happens to Inspira Financial 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 Inspira Financial's Beneficiary Claims / Client Services (1-800-258-7878) to claim the funds.
Inspira Financial 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
To file a claim after an account holder's death, here is what Inspira Financial requires:
Filing a claim
1
Notify Inspira Financial of the account holder's death by one of these methods:
- Call 800-258-7878 (Monday-Friday 7:00 AM - 8:00 PM CT; Saturday 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM CT)
- Use the Quick Claim portal at https://expressclaim.mtrustcompany.com/s/ to initiate certain claim types online (the portal still runs on the legacy Millennium Trust domain)
2
If the IRA was originally opened at Quest Trust Company or NuView Trust Company, claim it from Inspira, not the old custodian. Inspira became successor custodian of Quest Trust's self-directed IRA business on Sept. 3, 2024 (https://inspirafinancial.com/landing-pages/quest) and of NuView Trust's accounts on Nov. 1, 2024 (https://inspirafinancial.com/landing-pages/nuview). Beneficiary designations authorized with the prior custodian continue to be honored by Inspira, and assets were not retitled at transfer, so the account may still show the old custodian's name on the decedent's statements
3
Obtain a certified copy of the death certificate
4
Gather required documentation:
- Certified copy of death certificate
- Government-issued photo ID for the beneficiary or estate representative
- Completed IRA Distribution Request form
- Trust documents or Certificate of Trust (if a trust is named as beneficiary)
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (if estate is beneficiary)
- Tax withholding election
5
Inspira verifies the beneficiary designation on file and determines beneficiary classification under SECURE Act rules
6
Choose a distribution option:
- Lump sum distribution
- Transfer to an Inherited IRA at Inspira
- Rollover to another IRA (surviving spouse only)
- Installment payments based on life expectancy (eligible designated beneficiaries only)
7
Use the form that matches the account type: the IRA Distribution Request (Form IRA-040) at https://www.inspirafinancial.com/content/dam/forms/wealth-and-retirement/self-directed-ira-alternative-assets/IRA%20Distribution%20Request.pdf for a self-directed Traditional, Roth, SEP, SIMPLE, or Inherited IRA, or the ARP IRA Distribution Request Form at https://inspirafinancial.com/content/dam/forms/retirement-and-wealth/retirement-services/ARP-IRA-Distribution-Request-Form.pdf for an automatic rollover (ARP) IRA that an employer plan pushed into Inspira
8
Submit the completed form with all supporting documentation by mail to 2001 Spring Road, Suite 700, Oak Brook, IL 60523 or by fax to 630-472-5395
9
Inspira processes the distribution and issues Form 1099-R for tax reporting
Required Documents
- Certified copy of death certificate
- Government-issued photo ID for beneficiary or estate representative
- Completed IRA Distribution Request form (Form IRA-040, rev. 03/24) for a self-directed IRA, or the ARP IRA Distribution Request Form for an automatic rollover IRA
- Trust documents or Certificate of Trust (if trust is named as beneficiary)
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (if estate is beneficiary)
- Tax withholding election
Claims Contact
What to know at this institution
Inspira is a custodian, not a bank or branch network — there is nowhere to walk in, and every claim runs through Client Services at 800-258-7878, the Quick Claim portal at https://expressclaim.mtrustcompany.com/s/ (still hosted on the legacy Millennium Trust domain), or paper forms mailed or faxed to Oak Brook. Three things make an Inspira death claim different from a bank's. (1) LEGACY CUSTODIANS: Inspira is the successor custodian for Quest Trust Company self-directed IRAs (since Sept. 3, 2024) and NuView Trust Company accounts (since Nov. 1, 2024). Beneficiary designations authorized with the old custodian are still honored, and the assets were never retitled, so a decedent's paperwork may say Quest or NuView while the claim goes to Inspira. (2) AUTOMATIC ROLLOVER (ARP) IRAs: many Inspira accounts exist because a former employer's plan force-rolled a small 401(k) balance to Inspira. The decedent may never have logged in or named a beneficiary, and these accounts use a separate ARP IRA Distribution Request Form. Where no designation is on file, the account is paid per the "Designation of Beneficiaries" article of the Custodial Agreement, which generally directs the balance to the estate — meaning an heir needs Letters before Inspira will pay. (3) ALTERNATIVE ASSETS: a self-directed IRA can hold real estate, private equity, notes, or metals. Inspira will not appraise or sell them for a beneficiary; the beneficiary either takes an in-kind distribution or arranges a sale, and must still clear the asset out within the applicable SECURE Act window. SECURE Act rules generally require most non-spouse designated beneficiaries to fully distribute inherited retirement assets within 10 years; eligible designated beneficiaries (surviving spouses, minor children, disabled or chronically ill individuals, and beneficiaries not more than 10 years younger than the deceased) have additional options.
Prepare your letter of instruction to Inspira Financial
Inspira Financial provides its own letter-of-instruction form. Answer a few questions and we complete that official form for you to print and sign.
Build your letter of instructionHow long the process takes at Inspira Financial: Allow 5-10 business days for distribution processing after all documentation is received and verified. 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 Inspira Financial includes Certified copy of death certificate, Government-issued photo ID for beneficiary or estate representative, and Completed IRA Distribution Request form (Form IRA-040, rev. 03/24) for a self-directed IRA, or the ARP IRA Distribution Request Form for an automatic rollover IRA, along with additional paperwork that varies by account type. All death certificates and court documents must be certified copies.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, in most cases. Under the SECURE Act, a trust named as IRA beneficiary is generally treated as a non-person beneficiary, which means the inherited IRA must be fully distributed within 10 years of the account owner's death. However, if the trust meets IRS requirements as a "see-through" or "look-through" trust — meaning it is irrevocable at death, has identifiable beneficiaries who are individuals, and a copy of the trust is provided to Inspira within the required deadline — the underlying individual beneficiaries of the trust may be looked through for RMD classification purposes. A surviving spouse is the only trust beneficiary who may qualify for the special spousal rules if the trust meets additional IRS conditions. Consult an estate planning attorney before naming a trust as your IRA beneficiary.
If you die before claiming your automatic rollover IRA, any beneficiary you designated on the account will inherit it and must contact Inspira Financial at 800-258-7878 or through the Quick Claim portal at expressclaim.mtrustcompany.com. If no beneficiary designation is on file, the balance is paid according to the "Designation of Beneficiaries" article of the Custodial Agreement, which typically directs payment to your estate. Because many automatic rollover IRA participants never log in to claim or update their accounts, Inspira recommends designating beneficiaries as soon as the account is opened using form IRA-012.
Under IRS rules, if a trust is named as IRA beneficiary and the trust wishes to be treated as a see-through trust (so that the underlying individual beneficiaries are used for RMD purposes), the trustee must provide a copy of the trust document to Inspira by October 31 of the year following the year of the account owner's death. If this deadline is missed, the IRS treats the trust as having no individual beneficiaries, which generally means the 10-year rule applies (or the 5-year rule for owners who died before their required beginning date). Contact Inspira at 800-258-7878 promptly after the account owner's death to initiate the claim and understand documentation deadlines.
From Inspira. Inspira Financial was appointed successor custodian of Quest Trust Company's self-directed IRA business effective Sept. 3, 2024 — roughly 20,000 self-directed IRAs and more than $3 billion in assets under custody — and of NuView Trust Company's accounts effective Nov. 1, 2024. Two details matter to an executor or beneficiary. First, the assets were NOT retitled at the handover; only assets purchased or transferred after the transition date had to be titled to Inspira Financial Trust, LLC as custodian. So a decedent's statements, deeds, and note documents may still carry the Quest or NuView name even though Inspira now holds the account. Second, the beneficiary designation the account owner authorized with the prior custodian continues to be honored by Inspira, so the person named years ago at Quest or NuView is still the person Inspira will pay. Start the claim with Inspira Client Services at 800-258-7878 or through the Quick Claim portal at https://expressclaim.mtrustcompany.com/s/, and bring the old custodian's account number with you.
Inspira Financial's Beneficiary Claims / Client Services can be reached by phone at 1-800-258-7878 and fax at 630-472-5395 for questions throughout the claims process.
When the deceased had multiple Inspira Financial retirement accounts, some may need separate claims while others can be handled together. The Beneficiary Claims / Client Services can clarify what's needed for each account type.
Sources
Data sourced from Inspira Financial primary sources (23 pages reviewed). How we research.
Client Services
Phone1-800-258-7878
Toll-Free1-877-682-4727
Fax630-472-5395
Mailing Address
Inspira Financial Trust, LLC, 2001 Spring Road, Suite 700, Oak Brook, IL 60523
WebsiteLearn more→
Client Services
Phone1-800-258-7878
Toll-Free1-877-682-4727
Fax630-472-5395
Mailing Address
Inspira Financial Trust, LLC, 2001 Spring Road, Suite 700, Oak Brook, IL 60523
WebsiteLearn more→
Beneficiary Claims / Client Services
Phone1-800-258-7878
Fax630-472-5395
Mailing Address
Inspira Financial Trust, LLC, 2001 Spring Road, Suite 700, Oak Brook, IL 60523
WebsiteNotify online→
Verified Jul 2026
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