What to do when a Premier America CU account holder dies
Contact Premier America CU's Premier America Wealth Management Group (PAWMG) — 13-step process, 10 required documents, and 5-10 business days after all documentation is received, though complex estates may take longer
Phone1-800-772-4000
Mailing Address
Premier America Credit Union, P.O. Box 2178, Chatsworth, CA 91313-2178
WebsiteLearn more→
Premier America Wealth Management Group (PAWMG)
Phone1-866-410-0170
Mailing Address
19867 Prairie Street, Chatsworth, CA 91311
WebsiteLearn more→
Member Care / Estate Services
Phone1-800-772-4000
Mailing Address
Premier America Credit Union, P.O. Box 2178, Chatsworth, CA 91313-2178
Real Estate Loan Servicing (mortgage/HELOC decedent)
Collections Department (loan payoff from deposits)
Auto/personal loan questions
PAWMG (investment accounts)
WebsiteNotify online→
Verified Jul 2026
The Premier America Wealth Management Group (PAWMG) at Premier America CU coordinates account transitions after a member's death. How each account is handled depends on its setup: POD and trust accounts transfer automatically, while solely-owned accounts typically require court authorization through Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
Premier America CU provides an online portal for initiating death claims, which can simplify the initial notification and document submission process. Claims can also be started by phone or by mailing the required documents.
Deposit, investment & retirement accounts
The death claim process at Premier America CU works as follows:
Filing a claim
1
Notify Premier America Credit Union of the account holder's death by visiting a local branch or calling (800) 772-4000
2
Gather required documentation:
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- Valid government-issued photo ID for the claimant
3
Choose the appropriate settlement path:
- For joint accounts with right of survivorship: surviving joint account owners remain active owners on the account regardless of beneficiaries listed
- For accounts with POD beneficiary: designated beneficiaries will receive a letter detailing the process for disbursement of funds after a death certificate and contact information are collected
- For accounts without beneficiary or survivorship: provide Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration issued by a CA or TX probate court, along with current identification of the estate executor or administrator
4
Premier America will block the account of a sole owner immediately upon notification of death (which may come from the Social Security Administration or from a loved one presenting an official death certificate); the decedent's debit and credit cards are deactivated at the same time
5
Joint accounts (Joint with Right of Survivorship) are handled by ownership position:
- If the deceased was the primary owner, the surviving joint owner keeps continued ownership through the transition and can remove funds as needed
- If the deceased was a secondary owner, the account can remain open but a new signature card must be signed to update ownership
6
If an estate account is needed, Premier America opens a savings (or savings and checking) estate account. To establish it, provide:
- A certified copy of the member's death certificate
- A Tax ID Number (TIN) for the estate
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration issued by a CA or TX probate court
- Current identification of the estate executor/administrator or voluntary administrator
7
Understand the 10-day check window: under "Other Checking Account Terms and Conditions," item 3 of the Membership Agreements and Disclosures, Premier America's authority to accept, pay, or collect a check is NOT revoked by the member's death until the credit union actually knows of the death and has a reasonable opportunity to act. Even after it knows, it may for TEN (10) DAYS after the date of death continue to pay or guarantee checks drawn on or before that date -- unless a person claiming an interest in the account orders it in WRITING to stop payment. If outstanding checks should not clear, deliver a written stop-payment instruction, not a phone call.
8
The same agreement imposes a duty on the account owner and any joint owner(s) to notify Premier America if any of them dies or becomes incapacitated -- do not assume the credit union has been told
9
Federal-agency direct deposits (Social Security, VA) received after the date of death are returned by law once Premier America is notified
10
Note the right of off-set: unless the member opted out of Courtesy Pay, Premier America's right of off-set expressly reaches government benefits (Social Security and other public benefit funds) deposited to the account, to cover overdrafts and related fees -- so a small negative balance can be recovered from benefit funds sitting in the decedent's account before anything is disbursed
11
Powers of attorney on the account become void upon the death of the member who granted them
12
Any outstanding Premier America loan balances will be satisfied from account funds before disbursement to beneficiaries or the estate
13
If the deceased member had Debt Cancellation coverage on any Premier America loan, qualified proceeds will be applied toward the loan balance as of the date of death
Required Documents
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- Valid government-issued photo ID for the claimant (beneficiary, executor, or administrator)
- Account information for the deceased (account numbers if available)
- For accounts without beneficiary: Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration issued by a CA or TX probate court
- For an estate account: a Tax ID Number (TIN) for the estate plus executor/administrator (or voluntary administrator) identification
- For small estates in California: an Affidavit for Collection of Personal Property under California Probate Code §§ 13100-13101, usable in place of Letters when the decedent's total California estate (excluding joint-tenancy, POD, and other non-probate assets) does not exceed $208,850 for deaths on or after April 1, 2025 ($184,500 for deaths on or after April 1, 2022 and before April 1, 2025). The affidavit cannot be presented until 40 days after death. The figure is adjusted by the Judicial Council every three years under Cal. Prob. Code § 890; the next adjustment is April 1, 2028.
- For small estates in Texas (Harris County members): a Small Estate Affidavit under Texas Estates Code chapter 205, which carries its own separate value limit and procedure -- confirm the current Texas threshold with the Harris County probate court before relying on it
- For trust accounts: trust documentation including successor trustee provisions and trustee ID
- For IRA accounts: IRA beneficiary claim forms and applicable distribution election forms
- For a safe deposit box: the designated box key(s) (boxes are located only at the Chatsworth branch)
What to know at this institution
Account-agreement clauses that matter to an executor (April 1, 2026 Membership Agreements and Disclosures): Premier America may keep paying or guaranteeing checks drawn on or before the date of death for TEN (10) DAYS after that date, even once it knows the member has died, unless a person claiming an interest in the account stops payment IN WRITING. Its authority to accept, pay, or collect items is not revoked at all until it actually knows of the death and has a reasonable opportunity to act, so the death certificate should be delivered promptly. The member and any joint owner are contractually required to notify the credit union of a death or incapacity. Premier America's right of off-set expressly extends to government benefits (Social Security and other public benefit funds) in the account to cover overdrafts and related fees unless the member opted out of Courtesy Pay. Estate/fiduciary accounts are opened under the "Fiduciary Accounts" terms: the executor, administrator, guardian, or conservator's authority continues until written notice to the contrary reaches the credit union, and if the account is court-blocked the fiduciary must file a written receipt with the court agreeing that no funds are withdrawn or pledged except on court order. Premier America blocks sole-owner accounts immediately upon notification of death (debit and credit cards deactivate at the same time). Per the Account Designations section of the Member Care Booklet, funds in an account with beneficiaries are disbursed on request directly to those beneficiaries; funds in a jointly owned account with beneficiaries transfer to the surviving joint owner(s); and funds are disbursed to designated beneficiaries only upon the death of all account owners. Disbursement follows satisfaction of any outstanding loan balances; with no listed beneficiary, funds pass to the estate under state provisions. An estate account is opened as a savings (or savings and checking) account and requires the deceased or estate beneficiaries to have been established members at death -- Premier America cannot open accounts for deceased non-members. Safe deposit boxes are only at the Chatsworth branch; without the key a locksmith can be scheduled at the beneficiary's cost. For trust accounts, refer to the trust agreement and the attorney settling the estate. Premier America Wealth Management Group (PAWMG) assists with investment accounts: (866) 410-0170, pawmg@premieramerica.com, or InvestmentServices@premieramerica.com. (Source: Premier America Member Care Booklet, MKT-500.)
Mortgage and home lending
Mortgages and home equity loans are liabilities, not assets. They do not have beneficiaries and cannot be retitled to a trust. When a borrower dies, the loan obligation transfers with the property to whoever inherits it. Under the federal Garn-St. Germain Act, the lender cannot accelerate the loan or call it due when the property transfers to a surviving spouse, child, or the borrower’s revocable trust.
1
Email Premier America's Real Estate Loan Servicing department at Reservicers@premieramerica.com with the transfer-of-ownership documents, a copy of the personal representative's driver's license, a certified copy of the death certificate, and an email address BEFORE calling the servicing line
2
Call the Real Estate Loan Servicing department at (800) 858-8328 for further instructions (this is the dedicated mortgage servicing line, not the general member line)
3
Provide initial information:
- Deceased borrower's full legal name and loan number
- Certified copy of the death certificate
4
For a single-borrower mortgage: the Successor in Interest completes the ownership-transfer documentation and Premier America confirms Successor in Interest status
5
Once confirmed, choose from available options:
- Continue making payments on the existing loan
- Assume the loan
- Refinance in your own name
- Pay off the remaining balance
6
If you are a co-borrower and a Premier America member, the mortgage is transferred to your account (provide a copy of your driver's license, the certified death certificate, and an email address to Reservicers@premieramerica.com)
7
Continue making monthly mortgage payments during the transition to avoid default
Required Documents
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- Copy of the personal representative's (or co-borrower's) driver's license
- Transfer-of-ownership documents proving your interest in the property (probated will, court order, recorded deed, or trust document showing you as successor trustee or beneficiary)
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (if going through probate)
- A contact email address (required by Real Estate Loan Servicing)
- Marriage certificate (if surviving spouse)
What to know at this institution
Mortgage death handling is administered by Premier America's Real Estate Loan Servicing department: email documents to Reservicers@premieramerica.com first, then call (800) 858-8328. Under the federal Garn-St. Germain Depository Institutions Act (12 U.S.C. § 1701j-3), Premier America cannot enforce a due-on-sale clause when the property transfers to a surviving spouse, child, relative upon death, or the borrower's revocable living trust. Confirmed Successors in Interest are treated as borrowers under CFPB mortgage servicing rules. (Source: Premier America Member Care Booklet, MKT-500.)
Expected timelines at Premier America CU: 5-10 business days after all documentation is received, though complex estates may take longer. Delays are almost always caused by incomplete paperwork—gathering all required documents before filing the initial claim helps avoid back-and-forth.
Premier America CU requires several documents to process a claim, including Certified copy of the death certificate, Valid government-issued photo ID for the claimant (beneficiary, executor, or administrator), and Account information for the deceased (account numbers if available), 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
No. Premier America's Membership Agreements and Disclosures state plainly that a Pay-On-Death designation cannot be changed by a will. To redirect a P.O.D. account you must update the Premier America Signature Card at a branch or by calling (800) 772-4000 -- the beneficiary lives on the Signature Card, not on a separate standalone form. The agreement also provides that if a P.O.D. payee dies before all of the account owners, on the death of the last owner the funds are split equally among the surviving P.O.D. payees; the deceased payee's share does not pass to that payee's own heirs. Joint accounts are "Joint with Right of Survivorship," so a surviving joint owner stays on the account regardless of any P.O.D. payees listed, and the P.O.D. payees are paid only after all owners have died.
Yes, in many cases. California allows an Affidavit for Collection of Personal Property under Probate Code sections 13100-13101 in place of Letters Testamentary. For deaths on or after April 1, 2025 the ceiling is $208,850 (it was $184,500 for deaths on or after April 1, 2022 and before that date), and the affidavit cannot be presented until 40 days after death. The ceiling counts only probate assets -- accounts that already carry a P.O.D. beneficiary or a surviving joint owner pass outside it and do not use up the limit. Present the signed affidavit with a certified death certificate and your photo ID. The Judicial Council adjusts this figure every three years under Probate Code section 890; the next adjustment is April 1, 2028. Premier America members in Harris County, Texas use the separate Texas Estates Code chapter 205 small estate affidavit instead, which has its own limit and procedure.
Possibly, for a short window. Under the "Other Checking Account Terms and Conditions" in Premier America's Membership Agreements and Disclosures, the credit union's authority to pay checks is not revoked by a member's death until it actually knows of the death and has a reasonable opportunity to act. Even after it knows, it may for ten (10) days after the date of death continue to pay or guarantee checks that were drawn on or before that date -- unless a person claiming an interest in the account orders a stop payment IN WRITING. If outstanding checks should not clear, deliver a written stop-payment instruction along with the certified death certificate; a phone call alone does not satisfy the clause. The account agreement also makes it the owner's and any joint owner's duty to notify Premier America of a death or incapacity.
Yes, if the deceased member (or the estate beneficiaries) was an established Premier America member at the time of death -- as a credit union, Premier America cannot open accounts for deceased non-members, even when surviving family are members. Premier America opens the estate account as a savings account (or savings and checking) that authorized individuals use to deposit and pay the decedent's bills. To establish it, provide a certified death certificate, a Tax ID Number (TIN) for the estate, Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration from a California or Texas probate court, and current ID of the executor, administrator, or voluntary administrator.
Premier America CU's Member Care / Estate Services can be reached by phone at 1-800-772-4000 for questions throughout the claims process.
Multiple Premier America CU accounts may mean multiple claims. Some account types can be processed together, but others require their own documentation. Check with the Premier America Wealth Management Group (PAWMG) to confirm what applies.
Sources
Data sourced from Premier America CU primary sources (25 pages reviewed). How we research.
Phone1-800-772-4000
Mailing Address
Premier America Credit Union, P.O. Box 2178, Chatsworth, CA 91313-2178
WebsiteLearn more→
Premier America Wealth Management Group (PAWMG)
Phone1-866-410-0170
Mailing Address
19867 Prairie Street, Chatsworth, CA 91311
WebsiteLearn more→
Member Care / Estate Services
Phone1-800-772-4000
Mailing Address
Premier America Credit Union, P.O. Box 2178, Chatsworth, CA 91313-2178
Real Estate Loan Servicing (mortgage/HELOC decedent)
Collections Department (loan payoff from deposits)
Auto/personal loan questions
PAWMG (investment accounts)
WebsiteNotify online→
Verified Jul 2026
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