Estate planning at Premier America CU
How to protect 13 Premier America CU accounts — manage beneficiaries in-branch, fund a trust in-branch, and file claims through Premier America CU's Premier America Wealth Management Group (PAWMG)
Premier America Credit Union, P.O. Box 2178, Chatsworth, CA 91313-2178
Premier America Wealth Management Group (PAWMG)
19867 Prairie Street, Chatsworth, CA 91311
Member Care / Estate Services
Premier America Credit Union, P.O. Box 2178, Chatsworth, CA 91313-2178
Premier America CU offers 13 accounts, each with its own rules for what happens when a member dies. As a membership-based credit union, Premier America CU operates branches throughout Los Angeles and Ventura counties in Southern California, with additional branches in Harris County, Texas. Membership is open to individuals who live, work, worship, or attend school in Los Angeles County, Ventura County (CA), or Harris County (TX), as well as family members of current members. Fort Bend and Montgomery county residents may also be eligible. Branch locations include Chatsworth, Burbank, Camarillo, Granada Hills, Oxnard, Port Hueneme, Santa Clarita, Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks, Ventura, Warner Center, Westlake Village, Woodland Hills, Universal Studios, and Houston (9630 Westheimer Rd., plus three additional Houston-area branches acquired from Resource One Credit Union in April 2026). Members also have access to over 30,000 surcharge-free CO-OP ATMs nationwide. Some transfer automatically to a named beneficiary, others can be held in a trust, and a few may require probate if no plan is in place.
Beneficiary designations at Premier America CU can be managed in branch, by mail, and by phone, typically taking 15-30 minutes in branch; longer by mail. Trust funding is also available, allowing families to retitle accounts into the name of a revocable living trust.
Premier America CU provides specific procedures for both proactive estate planning and filing claims after a death.
Preparing your estate
Beneficiaries and trust funding
How to update beneficiaries in-branch, fund a trust in-branch, and review 13 account types at Premier America CU.
View details →When someone dies
Death claim process
Contact Premier America CU's Premier America Wealth Management Group (PAWMG) to file a claim. 13-step process, 10 required documents, and contact information for survivors.
View details →Premier America CU's Premier America Wealth Management Group (PAWMG) can answer questions about beneficiaries, trusts, or death claims at 1-866-410-0170. Email inquiries can be sent to pawmg@premieramerica.com.
Premier America CU is not available nationwide. Estate planning procedures may vary by state, so confirm that your location is served before making account changes.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, but bring a NOTARIZED trust certification. Premier America's Membership Agreements and Disclosures state that the credit union may require a notarized trust certification confirming your power as trustee before it will open a living trust account, so have the Certification of Trust notarized before your branch visit rather than after a rejected application. You will also complete Premier America's own "Premier Trust Profile and Certification" at account opening. Trust accounts are available for checking, savings, money market, and certificate accounts, and existing accounts can be retitled to the trust without closing them. Note that living trust accounts are carved out of California's Multiple Party Accounts Law, so the funds pass under the trust instrument rather than under the joint/P.O.D. default rules.
Sources
Data sourced from Premier America CU primary sources (25 pages reviewed). How we research.
Premier America Credit Union, P.O. Box 2178, Chatsworth, CA 91313-2178
Premier America Wealth Management Group (PAWMG)
19867 Prairie Street, Chatsworth, CA 91311
Member Care / Estate Services
Premier America Credit Union, P.O. Box 2178, Chatsworth, CA 91313-2178
Estate planning articles
Learn how to protect your Premier America CU accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
