What to do when a Nationwide account holder dies
Contact Nationwide — 7-step process, 8 required documents, and a claims specialist contacts the beneficiary with guidance within 3 business days of the claim being reported. nationwide names three ways to speed the claim: send documents to the specialist by email, sign through its secure docusign service, and take payment by electronic direct deposit.
Nationwide Life and Annuity Service
Phone1-800-848-6331
Fax1-888-634-4472 (annuity); 1-888-677-7393 (life)
Mailing Address
Nationwide Headquarters, One Nationwide Plaza, Columbus, OH 43215-2220. Annuity forms: Nationwide Life Insurance Company, PO Box 182021, Columbus, OH 43218-2021. Life forms: Nationwide Life Insurance Company, PO Box 182835, Columbus, OH 43218-2835.
Annuity income products
Annuity and life sales / financial professionals
Mutual funds service
Retirement plans — Nationwide Retirement Solutions (457/401(k)/403(b))
Retirement plans — 401(k)/403(b) participants
TDD/TTY for the hearing impaired
Corporate headquarters
WebsiteLearn more→
Nationwide Life and Annuity Service
Phone1-800-848-6331
Fax1-888-634-4472 (annuity); 1-888-677-7393 (life)
Mailing Address
Nationwide Headquarters, One Nationwide Plaza, Columbus, OH 43215-2220. Annuity forms: Nationwide Life Insurance Company, PO Box 182021, Columbus, OH 43218-2021. Life forms: Nationwide Life Insurance Company, PO Box 182835, Columbus, OH 43218-2835.
Annuity income products
Annuity and life sales / financial professionals
Mutual funds service
Retirement plans — Nationwide Retirement Solutions (457/401(k)/403(b))
Retirement plans — 401(k)/403(b) participants
TDD/TTY for the hearing impaired
Corporate headquarters
WebsiteLearn more→
Annuity and Life CARE Team (Customers Are the Reason we Exist)
Phone1-800-848-6331
Fax1-888-634-4472 (annuity claims); 1-888-677-7393 (life)
Mailing Address
Annuity claims: Nationwide Life Insurance Company, PO Box 182021, Columbus, OH 43218-2021 (overnight: Nationwide Insurance, 1-LC-F4, 1 Nationwide Plaza, Columbus, OH 43215-2239). Retirement plan claims: Nationwide Retirement Solutions, PO Box 182797, Columbus, OH 43218-2797.
Retirement plan (457/401(k)/403(b)) beneficiary claims — Nationwide Retirement Solutions
Beneficiary financial guidance on inherited annuity proceeds (no cost, 9 AM - 6 PM ET weekdays)
TDD/TTY for the hearing impaired
WebsiteNotify online→
Verified Jul 2026
A death claim on a Nationwide policy is filed through the Annuity and Life CARE Team (Customers Are the Reason we Exist) (1-800-848-6331). Because insurance proceeds pass directly to named beneficiaries, this process is separate from probate. The required documentation and timeline vary by policy type.
Nationwide 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
Here is the step-by-step death claim process at Nationwide:
Retirement Accounts
2 products1
Call Nationwide Retirement Solutions at 1-877-677-3678 (Monday-Friday 8:00 AM - 11:00 PM ET, Saturday 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM ET) — NOT the 800-848-6331 CARE Team line, which handles life and annuity claims only.
2
Download the Beneficiary Claim and Distribution Form (NRN-1099AO) from https://www.nrsforu.com/iApp/rsc/nrsforu/formsAndLiterature.x?documentId=NRN-1099AO
3
Complete the participant and beneficiary sections in full and attach a certified copy of the death certificate. If the beneficiary is a minor, legal guardianship or conservatorship papers must also be included. If there are multiple beneficiaries, each completes their own copy of the form and all copies must be submitted at the same time.
4
If a trust is the beneficiary, attach a copy of the trust document (or the will, if it is a testamentary trust) or a Certification of Trust, and answer the form's question on whether the trust qualifies as a "see-through" trust under Treasury Regulation 1.401(a)(9)-4.
5
Elect a payout option on the form. Claim before December 31 of the calendar year immediately following the year of death — the form warns that a later claim may cost beneficiaries, including a surviving spouse, access to some of the options otherwise available.
6
Return the form by mail to Nationwide Retirement Solutions, PO Box 182797, Columbus, OH 43218-2797; by fax to 1-877-677-4329; or by email to rpublic@nationwide.com
Required Documents
- Completed Beneficiary Claim and Distribution Form (NRN-1099AO)
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- Legal guardianship or conservatorship papers, if the beneficiary is a minor
- Copy of the trust document, the will (for a testamentary trust), or a Certification of Trust, if a trust is the beneficiary
Claims Contact
Phone: 1-877-677-3678
Email: rpublic@nationwide.com
Fax: 1-877-677-4329
Nationwide Retirement Solutions, PO Box 182797, Columbus, OH 43218-2797
What to know at this institution
General plan questions go to nrsforu@nationwide.com; completed claim forms go to rpublic@nationwide.com. Designated Beneficiaries must receive the entire benefit by December 31 of the 10th calendar year following the year of the participant's death. An estate, a non-qualified trust, a charity, or another organization may defer the initial required payment until December 31 of the calendar year immediately following the year of death.
Applies To
Governmental 457(b) Deferred Compensation Plan
1
Call the Nationwide Retirement Solutions Customer Solutions Center at 1-877-677-3678, or the 401(k)/403(b) participant line at 1-800-772-2182, to report the death and confirm the plan's own rules.
2
Complete the Beneficiary Claim and Distribution Form (NRN-1099AO) from https://www.nrsforu.com/iApp/rsc/nrsforu/formsAndLiterature.x?documentId=NRN-1099AO and attach a certified copy of the death certificate.
3
Return the form to Nationwide Retirement Solutions, PO Box 182797, Columbus, OH 43218-2797, by fax to 1-877-677-4329, or by email to rpublic@nationwide.com
Required Documents
- Completed Beneficiary Claim and Distribution Form (NRN-1099AO)
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- Legal guardianship or conservatorship papers, if the beneficiary is a minor
- Trust document or Certification of Trust, if a trust is the beneficiary
Claims Contact
Phone: 1-877-677-3678
Email: rpublic@nationwide.com
Fax: 1-877-677-4329
Nationwide Retirement Solutions, PO Box 182797, Columbus, OH 43218-2797
Applies To
401(k) / 403(b) Retirement Plan
Insurance Products
10 products1
Identify which Nationwide business line holds the asset, because the claims operations are separate: life insurance and annuities go to the Annuity and Life CARE Team (1-800-848-6331), while a 457, 401(k), or 403(b) plan account goes to Nationwide Retirement Solutions (1-877-677-3678) on form NRN-1099AO.
2
Open the life or annuity claim:
- Online: start the claim at https://nationwidefinancial.com/iApp/pub/deathclaim/onlineDeathClaim.action
- By phone: call the Annuity and Life CARE Team at 1-800-848-6331, 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM ET weekdays
- If you do not know the policy or contract number, search for a lost policy at https://nationwidefinancial.com/iApp/pub/deathclaim/searchForLostPolicy.action
3
Gather what Nationwide's CARE claims checklist (LAM-5177AO) says you will be asked for:
- The decedent's name (the insured on a life policy; the annuitant or contract owner on an annuity)
- Their date AND location of death — a death that occurred in a foreign country requires additional documentation
- The policy number (life) or contract number (annuity)
- A copy of the certified death certificate
- The beneficiary's name, date of birth, Social Security number, and address
- The beneficiary's bank routing and account number, if you want the proceeds by direct deposit
4
A claims specialist contacts you with guidance within 3 business days. Nationwide asks that documents be sent to your assigned claims specialist by email where possible and offers a secure DocuSign service to speed up the submission.
5
Complete the claim form for the product. Nationwide's Annuity Beneficiary Claim Form (AAF-0107AO) takes ONE beneficiary per form, and its authority rules are strict:
- A trust beneficiary: Nationwide must have a Certification of Trust (or a copy of the trust) on file before it will process the claim, and the trust's TIN goes on the form — not the trustee's SSN
- An estate beneficiary: Nationwide must have court-certified executor documentation (Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration) on file
- An attorney-in-fact signing under a power of attorney: Nationwide must have the POA on file confirming authority before processing
6
Choose the settlement option. On an annuity, form AAF-0107AO offers a surviving spouse the choice to re-register the contract and become the owner, or to be treated as a beneficiary and pick a distribution option; the beneficiary options are:
- Lump sum withdrawal
- 5-year or 10-year delayed distribution
- Life expectancy distribution (for an eligible designated beneficiary)
- Guaranteed income through annuitization
7
Nationwide reviews the forms for completeness and pays the proceeds by check, ACH, or J.P. Morgan Concourse.
Required Documents
- A copy of the certified death certificate (the annuity claim form asks for a copy of the certified certificate; a death outside the United States requires additional documentation)
- Completed claim form — Annuity Beneficiary Claim Form (AAF-0107AO) for annuities; the CARE Team provides the life claim forms; NRN-1099AO for retirement plans
- Beneficiary's name, date of birth, Social Security number, and address
- Beneficiary's bank routing and account number, for payment by direct deposit
- Certification of Trust (Trust Certificate) or a copy of the trust, if a trust is the beneficiary — plus the trust's TIN, not the trustee's SSN
- Court-certified executor documentation (Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration), if the estate is the beneficiary or an executor signs
- The power of attorney document, if an attorney-in-fact signs the claim
- Corporate resolution, if the beneficiary is a corporation or the contract has been assigned
Claims Contact
What to know at this institution
Nationwide runs three separate death-benefit operations and sending paperwork to the wrong one is the most common source of delay. Life and annuity claims go to the Annuity and Life CARE Team (Customers Are the Reason we Exist) at 1-800-848-6331; annuity claim forms go to PO Box 182021, Columbus, OH 43218-2021 (fax 888-634-4472). Retirement plan claims (457, 401(k), 403(b)) go to Nationwide Retirement Solutions at 1-877-677-3678 on form NRN-1099AO, returned to PO Box 182797, Columbus, OH 43218-2797 (fax 1-877-677-4329, email rpublic@nationwide.com). Nationwide will not pay proceeds directly to a minor: a court-appointed guardian of the estate, a conservator, a custodian under a state Uniform Transfers to Minors Act, or a trust are the customary recipients. If the decedent also held a Nationwide mutual fund account, that service line is 1-800-848-0920. Nationwide has no bank, so there are no Nationwide deposit accounts to close — deposits went to Axos Bank in 2018.
Applies To
Fixed AnnuityFixed Indexed AnnuityRegistered Index-Linked AnnuityVariable AnnuityImmediate AnnuityTerm Life InsuranceWhole Life InsuranceUniversal Life InsuranceIndexed Universal Life InsuranceVariable Universal Life Insurance
Prepare your letter of instruction to Nationwide
Nationwide 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 instructionProcessing timelines at Nationwide: A claims specialist contacts the beneficiary with guidance within 3 business days of the claim being reported. Nationwide names three ways to speed the claim: send documents to the specialist by email, sign through its secure DocuSign service, and take payment by electronic direct deposit. Incomplete documentation is the most common cause of delays—submitting all required documents with the initial claim helps avoid additional processing time.
Nationwide requires several documents to process a claim, including A copy of the certified death certificate (the annuity claim form asks for a copy of the certified certificate; a death outside the United States requires additional documentation), Completed claim form — Annuity Beneficiary Claim Form (AAF-0107AO) for annuities; the CARE Team provides the life claim forms; NRN-1099AO for retirement plans, and Beneficiary's name, date of birth, Social Security number, and address, 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
It can, and this is the most expensive mistake made on a Nationwide annuity. Form APO-5309 states that if your contract carries a Guaranteed Lifetime Withdrawal Benefit (GLWB) Joint Option or Spousal Continuation, designating any primary beneficiary other than your spouse — including your own revocable trust — permanently terminates the benefits associated with that rider, and the rider charge continues to be deducted for the life of the contract anyway, unless you can prove the marriage ended by divorce, dissolution, or annulment. Where Spousal Protection is tied to the death benefit, removing your spouse as primary beneficiary also removes them as co-annuitant, and Nationwide says once removed they can never be re-added, nor can anyone else be added as co-annuitant. Ask Nationwide at 1-800-848-6331 exactly what your riders do before you sign the form. (This section does not apply if you are submitting the change because your spouse has died — spousal protection stays in effect.)
Because retirement plan accounts are not handled by the Annuity and Life CARE Team. A 457, 401(k), or 403(b) plan recordkept by Nationwide is administered by Nationwide Retirement Solutions, a separate operation with its own number (1-877-677-3678, Monday-Friday 8:00 AM - 11:00 PM ET and Saturday 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM ET), its own form (the Beneficiary Claim and Distribution Form, NRN-1099AO, at https://www.nrsforu.com/iApp/rsc/nrsforu/formsAndLiterature.x?documentId=NRN-1099AO), and its own address (PO Box 182797, Columbus, OH 43218-2797; fax 1-877-677-4329; email rpublic@nationwide.com). One deadline matters: the form warns that a beneficiary claiming after December 31 of the calendar year immediately following the year of death, including a surviving spouse, may lose access to some of the payout options otherwise available.
That question appears on the Nationwide Retirement Solutions Beneficiary Claim and Distribution Form (NRN-1099AO) when a trust is the beneficiary of a 457, 401(k), or 403(b) plan account. Nationwide asks whether the trust qualifies as a see-through trust within the meaning of Treasury Regulation 1.401(a)(9)-4. If it does, the trust's own beneficiaries can be treated as designated beneficiaries or eligible designated beneficiaries, and the payout is measured against them. If it does not, Nationwide treats the trust as a Non-Designated Beneficiary, which changes how required minimum distributions are calculated and generally compresses the payout period. You must send a copy of the trust document, the will if it is a testamentary trust, or a Certification of Trust with the form. Nationwide does not give tax or legal advice — have the attorney who drafted the trust confirm the answer before you check the box.
Two state-driven rules catch people out. On the LIFE beneficiary form (LAF-0119AO), a witness signature is REQUIRED for residents of Massachusetts and for policies issued in Massachusetts — the witness must be a disinterested person over 18 who is not being named as a beneficiary, and must be present when you sign. Nationwide strongly recommends a witness everywhere else too. On the ANNUITY beneficiary form (APO-5309), if your contract was issued in, or you live in, Arizona, California, Guam, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Puerto Rico, Texas, Washington, or Wisconsin, your spouse may have community property rights in the contract, and you must either obtain your spouse's written consent or sign the owner indemnification, which releases Nationwide from any future community property claim your spouse may bring. Nationwide expressly disclaims responsibility for deciding whether community property law applies to you.
Nationwide's Annuity and Life CARE Team (Customers Are the Reason we Exist) can be reached by phone at 1-800-848-6331 and fax at 1-888-634-4472 (annuity claims); 1-888-677-7393 (life) for questions throughout the claims process.
Multiple Nationwide policies may mean multiple claims. Some account types can be processed together, but others require their own documentation. Check with the Annuity and Life CARE Team (Customers Are the Reason we Exist) to confirm what applies.
Sources
Data sourced from Nationwide primary sources (19 pages reviewed). How we research.
Nationwide Life and Annuity Service
Phone1-800-848-6331
Fax1-888-634-4472 (annuity); 1-888-677-7393 (life)
Mailing Address
Nationwide Headquarters, One Nationwide Plaza, Columbus, OH 43215-2220. Annuity forms: Nationwide Life Insurance Company, PO Box 182021, Columbus, OH 43218-2021. Life forms: Nationwide Life Insurance Company, PO Box 182835, Columbus, OH 43218-2835.
Annuity income products
Annuity and life sales / financial professionals
Mutual funds service
Retirement plans — Nationwide Retirement Solutions (457/401(k)/403(b))
Retirement plans — 401(k)/403(b) participants
TDD/TTY for the hearing impaired
Corporate headquarters
WebsiteLearn more→
Nationwide Life and Annuity Service
Phone1-800-848-6331
Fax1-888-634-4472 (annuity); 1-888-677-7393 (life)
Mailing Address
Nationwide Headquarters, One Nationwide Plaza, Columbus, OH 43215-2220. Annuity forms: Nationwide Life Insurance Company, PO Box 182021, Columbus, OH 43218-2021. Life forms: Nationwide Life Insurance Company, PO Box 182835, Columbus, OH 43218-2835.
Annuity income products
Annuity and life sales / financial professionals
Mutual funds service
Retirement plans — Nationwide Retirement Solutions (457/401(k)/403(b))
Retirement plans — 401(k)/403(b) participants
TDD/TTY for the hearing impaired
Corporate headquarters
WebsiteLearn more→
Annuity and Life CARE Team (Customers Are the Reason we Exist)
Phone1-800-848-6331
Fax1-888-634-4472 (annuity claims); 1-888-677-7393 (life)
Mailing Address
Annuity claims: Nationwide Life Insurance Company, PO Box 182021, Columbus, OH 43218-2021 (overnight: Nationwide Insurance, 1-LC-F4, 1 Nationwide Plaza, Columbus, OH 43215-2239). Retirement plan claims: Nationwide Retirement Solutions, PO Box 182797, Columbus, OH 43218-2797.
Retirement plan (457/401(k)/403(b)) beneficiary claims — Nationwide Retirement Solutions
Beneficiary financial guidance on inherited annuity proceeds (no cost, 9 AM - 6 PM ET weekdays)
TDD/TTY for the hearing impaired
WebsiteNotify online→
Verified Jul 2026
Estate planning articles
Learn how to protect your Nationwide accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
