What to do when a JULY account holder dies
Report the death to JULY Distributions Department at 1-888-333-5859
After an account holder at JULY dies, accounts with beneficiary designations or trust ownership transfer to the designated recipients without probate. Solely-owned accounts require the estate's representative to contact JULY Distributions Department at 1-888-333-5859 with the proper legal authority documents.
To start a claim, contact JULY by phone at 1-888-333-5859 or email documentation to psateam@julyservices.com. You will need the account holder's full name, account numbers, and the death certificate.
Death claim process
To file a claim after an account holder's death, here is what JULY requires:
Filing a claim
- A plan on the JULY Retirement Platform is serviced at 401k.julyservices.com, and JULY is the recordkeeper
- On a non-JULY platform (the participant FAQ names John Hancock, The Hartford and American Funds), JULY may only be the TPA and the claim is filed with that recordkeeper
- The FAQ directs participants on those platforms to the employer's Human Resources Department
- If the participant had left the employer with a small balance, an involuntary cash-out may have moved it to an automatic rollover IRA through Retirement Clearinghouse (RCH)
- The employer's HR or plan representative: the plan administrator must authorize the death distribution
- JULY's participant help line at 888-333-5859, Option 1 (8:15 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. Central Time), or Participant Questions at 888.333.6315 or psateam@julyservices.com
- Give the participant's full legal name, Social Security number, date of birth, employer and plan name, and date of death
Required Documents
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- Government-issued photo ID for the beneficiary or personal representative
- Completed distribution packetIssued by the JULY Distributions Department.
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration, where no beneficiary designation is on file and the plan's default distribution rules route the benefit to the estate
- Certificate of Trust or trust agreement, and the trust's taxpayer identification number, where a trust is the beneficiary
- Marriage certificate, where a spouse claims over a designation filed before the marriageUnder the Beneficiary Designation Form's terms, the earlier designation is void to the extent the new spouse is not the beneficiary.
- Divorce decree and any qualified domestic relations order, where a former spouse is named on the last form filedJULY states a designation naming that spouse is "automatically rescinded" on divorce or legal separation unless the decree or QDRO provides otherwise.
- Rollover instructions from the receiving IRA custodian, for a direct rollover to an inherited IRA
Forms JULY issues1
- Distribution packet, issued by the JULY Distributions Department
Sent by the institution on request.1
What happens to each kind of account2
- Employer retirement plan
JULY's participant QDRO FAQ defines the Plan Administrator as "the employer, or the party designated in the Adoption Agreement (not JULY)," and that party must authorize the death distribution.2
On a Launch401k PEP plan JULY is the legal plan administrator and lists "Approve Distributions / Loans" among its tasks, so the approval does not depend on the employer. A Solo 401(k) has no employer left at all.1
Only the vested balance is payable, so where a profit-sharing or matching source has a vesting schedule the death benefit can be less than the account statement total.1
JULY's Explanation of Death Benefits says a surviving spouse takes 100% of the vested benefit unless they signed a notarized Spousal Consent to Beneficiary Designation. With no Beneficiary Designation Form on file, the benefit is paid under "the default distribution rules under the Plan."3
A predeceased beneficiary's share "shall be disregarded and shared among all other beneficiaries in that individual's class." Where a class was named without percentages, "each beneficiary will share equally"; contingent beneficiaries take only if all primary beneficiaries predeceased the participant.3
- Pension
On a Cash Balance or Defined Benefit plan, the benefit may be payable as an annuity rather than a lump sum, depending on the plan document.1
Accounts handled elsewhere2
What JULY's agreement and guidance say3
- Wills, probate and small estates
A will does not override the beneficiary designation: JULY states that outside documents, such as a last will and testament, "do not control the payment of death benefits under the Plan."3
- How proceeds are paid
A surviving spouse may roll the balance into their own IRA or another eligible plan, or take it in cash. A non-spouse beneficiary may make a direct rollover to an inherited IRA, or take cash.1
- What it says about taxes
JULY's participant FAQ says a direct rollover avoids the federal withholding on a cash payment eligible for rollover, and notes an exception for distribution amounts less than $200.1
JULY Distributions Department can be reached by phone at 1-888-333-5859 and email at psateam@julyservices.com for questions throughout the claims process.
Sources
Data sourced from JULY primary sources (15 pages reviewed). How we research.
JULY death claims support
JULY Distributions Department (issues the distribution packet)
Phone
Participant Questions
Client Service Manager (plan-level questions)
Hours
Mailing address
Website
Estate planning articles
Learn how to protect your JULY 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.
