What to do when a Moneta account holder dies
Report the death to Moneta at 1-314-726-2300
What happens to Moneta investment 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 Moneta (1-314-726-2300) to claim the funds.
Death claim process
To file a claim after an account holder's death, here is what Moneta requires:
Filing a claim
- Held-away assets are claimed at the institution that holds them, even though Moneta reported on them
- Employer retirement plan benefits are claimed through the plan recordkeeper, with the death certificate and the plan's beneficiary claim form
- Flourish cash-management balances are claimed through Flourish Financial LLC and its program banks
- Date-of-death valuation support
- Coordination with the estate attorney and the tax preparer
- Coordinating information for gift and estate tax return preparers
Required Documents
- Certified death certificateEach custodian and each institution wants one.
- Government-issued ID, for the executor, trustee, or claiming beneficiary
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration, where the account passes through probate
- Trust agreement or certification of trust, with successor-trustee documentation, for trust-titled accounts
- The custodian's beneficiary claim or inherited-account transfer formsSchwab, Fidelity or Commerce Trust Company paperwork, not Moneta paperwork.
- The plan recordkeeper's death claim forms, for employer retirement plan benefits
- State inheritance tax waiver, in states that require one before an account is released
- A copy of the decedent's Moneta engagement agreementIt sets the termination notice terms and the billing cadence.
- Written notice terminating or restating the Moneta advisory agreement
What happens to each kind of account3
- Investment account
Moneta does not maintain custody of client assets: all client assets, including cash and securities, are held by the client's qualified custodian. The death claim is filed with the custodian, and the Moneta team coordinates.1
Moneta discloses that in some cases it can transfer funds out of client accounts without a separate client authorization, as with its bill pay and bookkeeping service.1
- Trust account
Where Moneta Trust is the corporate trustee, trust administration and distributions run through Moneta Trust rather than ending at death.2
- Employer retirement plan
Employer plan benefits are claimed through the plan recordkeeper. Retirement Advocate Fund holdings inside such a plan are collective investment trusts for which Matrix Trust Company is trustee and custodian.2
Accounts handled elsewhere5
- Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
Custody of Moneta client accounts held there; the claim is filed on its forms1, 3
- Commerce Bank, N.A. (Commerce Trust Company)
Custody of Moneta separately managed accounts held there, through a bank trust department with its own forms3
- Flourish Financial LLC
Moneta's cash-management program; deposits sit at Flourish program banks and are claimed there2
- Moneta Trust
Trusts for which it serves as corporate trustee; trust client login on its site4
What Moneta provides to the estate1
- Date-of-death balance letter
The Moneta team supplies date-of-death valuation support for the accounts.2
What Moneta's agreement and guidance say1
- Fees
A client can terminate the advisory relationship by written notice under the engagement agreement, and fees received for services not yet provided are refunded as that agreement sets out.1
Clients are billed quarterly in advance or in arrears, depending on the negotiated client preference. Fees are generally deducted from a client-designated account, and in limited circumstances Moneta liquidates investments to cover them.1
Not in Moneta's published guidance1
- How long a claim takes
Sources4
- 1.Form ADV Part 2A brochure, dated March 30, 2026
- 2.Contact
- 3.Form ADV Part 1
- 4.Moneta Trust
Moneta can be reached by phone at 1-314-726-2300 and fax at 1-314-862-6139 for questions throughout the claims process.
Sources
Show 4 more sourcesShow fewer sources
Data sourced from Moneta primary sources (20 pages reviewed). How we research.
Moneta death claims support
Phone
Fax
Hours
Mailing address
Website
Estate planning articles
Learn how to protect your Moneta 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.
