What to do when a NinjaTrader account holder dies
Contact NinjaTrader — 5-step process, 4 required documents, and contact support for timeline
Phone1-800-496-1683
Fax1-312-329-9888
Mailing Address
NinjaTrader Clearing, LLC, 222 North LaSalle Street, Suite 400, Chicago, IL 60601
Trade Desk (24-hour emergencies)
Sales / New Accounts
General Support
WebsiteLearn more→
Phone1-800-496-1683
Fax1-312-329-9888
Mailing Address
NinjaTrader Clearing, LLC, 222 North LaSalle Street, Suite 400, Chicago, IL 60601
Trade Desk (24-hour emergencies)
Sales / New Accounts
General Support
WebsiteLearn more→
Customer Support (Death Claims)
Phone1-800-496-1683
Fax1-312-329-9888
Mailing Address
NinjaTrader Clearing, LLC, 222 North LaSalle Street, Suite 400, Chicago, IL 60601
Trade Desk (24-hour emergencies)
Verified May 2026
When a NinjaTrader account holder passes away, the next step depends on how the investment accounts were set up. Accounts with beneficiary designations or trust ownership transfer outside of probate. Accounts titled solely in the deceased's name require the estate's legal representative to work with NinjaTrader's Customer Support (Death Claims) (1-800-496-1683) to access and distribute the funds.
Gather the account holder's full name, date of birth, and any known account or policy numbers before contacting NinjaTrader. A certified death certificate is the primary document required to start any claim.
Death claim process
Follow these steps to file a death claim with NinjaTrader:
Filing a claim
1
Contact NinjaTrader customer support at 800-496-1683 to report the death
2
Open futures positions may need to be liquidated due to margin requirements and contract expiration
3
Submit required documentation:
- Certified death certificate
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (if going through probate)
- Trust documentation (if trust account)
- Government-issued ID for claimant
4
For IRA accounts: contact the third-party custodian (Midland Trust or Millennium Trust) directly
5
Assets distributed per designation or probate
Required Documents
- Certified death certificate
- Government-issued ID for claimant
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (if going through probate)
- Trust documentation (if trust account)
Futures accounts have unique considerations: open positions with margin and expiration dates may require immediate liquidation. The brokerage entity is NinjaTrader Clearing, LLC (d/b/a NinjaTrader, Tradovate, Kraken Derivatives US). Trade desk for emergencies: 312-423-2234 (available 24 hours). For IRA accounts, the death claim process is managed by the third-party IRA custodian.
Expected timelines at NinjaTrader: Contact support for timeline. Delays are almost always caused by incomplete paperwork—gathering all required documents before filing the initial claim helps avoid back-and-forth.
To process a claim, NinjaTrader needs Certified death certificate, Government-issued ID for claimant, Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (if going through probate), and Trust documentation (if trust account). Death certificates and court documents must be certified copies—photocopies are not accepted.
Frequently asked questions
No. Futures accounts at NinjaTrader Clearing, LLC do not support Transfer-on-Death (TOD) beneficiary designations the way securities brokerage accounts do. Open futures positions carry margin requirements and contract expiration dates, which is incompatible with a beneficiary-pays-on-death model. To plan for the orderly transfer of a futures account, the typical approach is to hold the account in the name of a revocable living trust (NinjaTrader Trust Futures Account) or as a joint account with right of survivorship. Contact newaccounts@ninjatrader.com to discuss options.
Unlike a securities account, futures positions carry margin and contract expiration dates. On the death of an account holder, open positions often need to be liquidated immediately to avoid margin calls or expiration losses before any estate process can transfer ownership. The estate representative should call the NinjaTrader trade desk at 312-423-2234 (available 24 hours) as soon as possible, and customer support at 800-496-1683 to freeze the account, submit a certified death certificate, and start the death claim process.
Yes, but IRA futures accounts are opened through a third-party custodian (Midland Trust or Millennium Trust), not directly with NinjaTrader. The custodian holds the IRA, processes contributions and distributions, and manages the beneficiary designation. On the account holder's death, the named beneficiary contacts the custodian -- not NinjaTrader -- to file the IRA beneficiary claim and elect a distribution option under the SECURE Act rules.
No. Kraken (Payward, Inc.) completed its $1.5 billion acquisition of NinjaTrader on May 2, 2025, but NinjaTrader Clearing, LLC continues to operate as a standalone CFTC-registered Futures Commission Merchant and NFA member (NFA ID #0309379). Existing account agreements, the Chicago mailing address (222 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 400, Chicago, IL 60601), and customer support channels for beneficiary, trust, and death claim processes remain unchanged. Estate representatives should still call 800-496-1683 or email support@ninjatrader.com.
NinjaTrader's Customer Support (Death Claims) can be reached by phone at 1-800-496-1683, email at support@ninjatrader.com, and fax at 1-312-329-9888 for questions throughout the claims process.
If the deceased held multiple NinjaTrader investment accounts, each may require a separate claim or have different documentation requirements. The Customer Support (Death Claims) can confirm which accounts require individual attention and which can be processed together.
Phone1-800-496-1683
Fax1-312-329-9888
Mailing Address
NinjaTrader Clearing, LLC, 222 North LaSalle Street, Suite 400, Chicago, IL 60601
Trade Desk (24-hour emergencies)
Sales / New Accounts
General Support
WebsiteLearn more→
Phone1-800-496-1683
Fax1-312-329-9888
Mailing Address
NinjaTrader Clearing, LLC, 222 North LaSalle Street, Suite 400, Chicago, IL 60601
Trade Desk (24-hour emergencies)
Sales / New Accounts
General Support
WebsiteLearn more→
Customer Support (Death Claims)
Phone1-800-496-1683
Fax1-312-329-9888
Mailing Address
NinjaTrader Clearing, LLC, 222 North LaSalle Street, Suite 400, Chicago, IL 60601
Trade Desk (24-hour emergencies)
Verified May 2026
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