What to do when a Premier Members CU account holder dies
Contact Premier Members CU — 11-step process, 8 required documents, and 5-10 business days after all documentation is received; complex estates may take longer
Brand change
Premier Members Credit Union merged into Meritrust Credit Union effective August 1, 2025 and now operates under the Meritrust brand. Colorado members are served at colorado.meritrust.org (pmcu.org transitioned on March 8, 2026). Accounts, the routing number (307074535), and the Broomfield headquarters carried over; estate claims are handled under the Meritrust Member Service Agreement (MSA). Do not confuse this credit union with Premier America Credit Union of Chatsworth, California -- a separate, still-independent institution. Effective August 2025.
The procedures below reflect Premier Members CU's accounts. Account servicing may transfer as the change takes effect.
Premier Members CU
Subsidiary of Meritrust Credit Union (merged August 1, 2025; pmcu.org transitioned to colorado.meritrust.org March 8, 2026)
colorado.meritrust.org→
Phone1-303-657-7000
Emailinfo@meritrust.org
Mailing Address
Meritrust Credit Union, 360 Interlocken Blvd, Broomfield, CO 80021
WebsiteLearn more→
Phone1-303-657-7000
Emailinfo@meritrust.org
Mailing Address
Meritrust Credit Union, 360 Interlocken Blvd, Broomfield, CO 80021
WebsiteLearn more→
Member Services
Phone1-303-657-7000
Emailinfo@meritrust.org
Mailing Address
Meritrust Credit Union, 360 Interlocken Blvd, Broomfield, CO 80021
WebsiteNotify online→
Verified Jul 2026
The Member Services at Premier Members 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.
The claim process can be initiated by phone at 1-303-657-7000 or by sending documentation to info@meritrust.org. Have the account holder's full name, account numbers, and a certified death certificate available when making initial contact.
Death claim process
Follow these steps to file a death claim with Premier Members CU:
Filing a claim
1
Notify Meritrust Credit Union (formerly Premier Members CU) of the account holder's death by visiting a local branch or calling (303) 657-7000 (Monday-Friday 9:00 AM-5:30 PM MT; Saturday 9:00 AM-12:00 PM MT)
2
Gather required documentation:
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- Valid government-issued photo ID for the claimant
3
Determine the appropriate settlement path based on account ownership:
- For joint accounts with right of survivorship: surviving joint owner(s) remain active on the account; present the death certificate to update account records
- For accounts with POD beneficiary: designated beneficiaries present the death certificate and valid ID to receive disbursement of funds
- For accounts without beneficiary or survivorship: provide Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration issued by a Colorado probate court, along with identification of the estate executor or administrator
4
Deliver a CERTIFIED copy of the death certificate promptly. Under MSA Provision 25.a., Meritrust "may continue to honor all actions and transactions on an account, product or service" until it receives a certified death certificate together with proof of the representative's or claimant's authority and identification -- there is no automatic freeze on the date of death. On a multiple-owner account it requires certified death certificates for ALL owners.
5
Expect identity due diligence beyond a photo ID: MSA Provision 25.a. lets Meritrust require the estate representative, claimant, or POD payee to provide ID, Social Security number, birthdate, physical address, and "other identifying information as we require (such as a second form of ID, thumbprint or fingerprint)" before it will honor any claim -- including a claim on a safe deposit box
6
Be prepared to sign an indemnification: MSA Provision 25.a. states Meritrust "may require a representative of an owner's estate or claimant to indemnify, defend us against and hold us harmless before we will release the funds." Trust accounts carry a parallel indemnity binding every grantor, trustee, successor trustee, and beneficiary (MSA Provision 4.h.).
7
On notice of death (MSA Provision 25.d.), Meritrust may suspend any product or service, begin terminating products, services, account numbers, and membership, collect any outstanding obligations, and prepare to disburse remaining funds
8
Meritrust may pay a claim by issuing its check payable to the deceased owner's ESTATE (rather than to you personally). If there is a dispute or uncertainty about who is entitled to the funds, MSA Provision 25.a. lets the credit union either hold the funds or deposit them with a court, so a beneficiary dispute can push the money into an interpleader rather than a payout.
9
Any outstanding loan balances at Premier Members CU (Meritrust) are satisfied from account funds BEFORE anything is disbursed to a POD payee, beneficiary, or the estate -- MSA Provisions 25.a. and 25.b. both say so, and the MSA's lien/set-off clause reaches directly deposited government entitlements such as Social Security. The lien does NOT reach retirement accounts.
10
If the deceased member had Debt Cancellation or Credit Life coverage on any loan, qualified proceeds will be applied toward the loan balance as of the date of death
11
Understand who Meritrust will and will not talk to. MSA Provision 25.c. states the credit union will not provide information about, or access to, any account, loan, or product until the person has first established legal authority -- so a family member cannot get a balance or an account inventory over the phone before Letters or the small-estate affidavit are in hand.
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 Colorado probate court
- For small estates: Colorado "Collection of Personal Property by Affidavit" (Colorado Judicial Department form JDF 999, revised April 28, 2026) under C.R.S. § 15-12-1201. The value ceiling is set by YEAR OF DEATH and printed on the form itself: 2026 = $88,000; 2025 = $86,000; 2024 = $82,000; 2023 = $80,000 (personal property, less liens and encumbrances). At least ten days must have elapsed since the death, no personal representative may be appointed or pending anywhere, and the affidavit cannot transfer real estate. The affidavit is NOT filed with the court -- you present it directly to Meritrust. Form and instructions (JDF 998): https://www.coloradojudicial.gov/self-help-and-forms/self-help-forms/collection-personal-property-affidavit
- Colorado imposes no state estate or inheritance tax, so no state tax waiver or release is needed before Meritrust will pay out an account
- For trust accounts: trust documentation including successor trustee provisions and trustee ID
- For IRA accounts: IRA beneficiary claim forms and applicable distribution election forms
What to know at this institution
The governing document is the Meritrust Member Service Agreement (MSA), Part 2, Provision 25 "Decedents' Accounts, Products and Services" (https://colorado.meritrust.org/MSA). Four clauses drive the practical experience. (1) NO AUTOMATIC FREEZE: Meritrust "may continue to honor all actions and transactions on an account, product or service" until it actually receives a certified death certificate plus proof of the claimant's authority and ID -- so autopays and card transactions can keep running until the paperwork lands. (2) INDEMNIFICATION: the credit union "may require a representative of an owner's estate or claimant to indemnify, defend us against and hold us harmless before we will release the funds," and the same is true of everyone associated with a trust account. (3) HEIGHTENED ID: it may demand SSN, birthdate, physical address, a second form of ID, and even a thumbprint or fingerprint before honoring a claim, including on a safe deposit box. (4) DEBTS FIRST, AND BENEFITS ARE FAIR GAME: money the decedent owed Meritrust is repaid from the accounts before any distribution, and the MSA's lien and set-off rights expressly reach "directly deposited government entitlements or benefits, such as Social Security deposits" -- though NOT retirement accounts. In a dispute over entitlement, Meritrust may hold the funds or deposit them with a court instead of paying. It may also pay by issuing a check payable to the decedent's estate rather than to the claimant. On notice of death it may suspend products, begin terminating membership, and collect outstanding obligations (Provision 25.d.). Colorado has no state inheritance or estate tax, so no state tax waiver is required to release an account. Meritrust publishes no dedicated deceased-member claim form; the process runs through a branch or Member Services at (303) 657-7000.
Processing timelines at Premier Members CU: 5-10 business days after all documentation is received; complex estates may take longer. Incomplete documentation is the most common cause of delays—submitting all required documents with the initial claim helps avoid additional processing time.
Documentation required by Premier Members CU includes 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), along with additional paperwork that varies by account type. All death certificates and court documents must be certified copies.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, in most cases. Colorado allows a "Collection of Personal Property by Affidavit" (Judicial Department form JDF 999) under C.R.S. section 15-12-1201. The ceiling is keyed to the YEAR OF DEATH and printed on the form itself: $88,000 for a 2026 death, $86,000 for 2025, $82,000 for 2024, and $80,000 for 2023, measured on personal property net of liens and encumbrances. At least ten days must have passed since the death, no personal representative may have been appointed or be pending in any state, and the affidavit cannot transfer real estate. The affidavit is not filed with the court -- you sign it and present it directly to the credit union with a certified death certificate and your identification. Meritrust may still apply the heightened identity checks in its Member Service Agreement before it releases the funds. Colorado charges no state estate or inheritance tax, so no tax waiver is needed.
No -- not automatically. Provision 25 of the Meritrust Member Service Agreement states the credit union "may continue to honor all actions and transactions on an account, product or service" until it receives a certified copy of the death certificate together with proof of the claimant's authority and identification. Recurring autopays, subscriptions, and card transactions can therefore keep clearing until you deliver that paperwork, so bring a certified death certificate to a Colorado branch or call (303) 657-7000 promptly. On a multiple-owner account, Meritrust requires certified death certificates for all owners before the beneficiaries can claim. Once it has notice, Provision 25.d. lets the credit union suspend products and services, begin terminating accounts and the membership, and collect any outstanding obligations.
It can. Provision 25.a. of the Member Service Agreement says Meritrust "may require a representative of an owner's estate or claimant to indemnify, defend us against and hold us harmless before we will release the funds," and it may ask for your Social Security number, birthdate, physical address, a second form of identification, and even a thumbprint or fingerprint. Trust accounts carry a parallel clause under which every grantor, trustee, successor trustee, and beneficiary agrees to indemnify the credit union. If two claimants disagree about who is entitled to the money, the agreement lets Meritrust hold the funds or deposit them with a court rather than pay either party. Note also that money the member owed the credit union is repaid out of the accounts before anything reaches a POD payee or the estate -- the lien reaches even directly deposited Social Security funds, though not retirement accounts.
Yes. Meritrust Credit Union offers a Health Savings Account (HSA) with tax-free withdrawals for qualified medical expenses, no minimum balance requirement, and a free HSA Visa Debit Card. An HSA cannot be retitled to a trust; use a beneficiary designation to transfer the account at death.
Premier Members CU's Member Services can be reached by phone at 1-303-657-7000 and email at info@meritrust.org for questions throughout the claims process.
Multiple Premier Members CU accounts may mean multiple claims. Some account types can be processed together, but others require their own documentation. Check with the Member Services to confirm what applies.
Sources
Data sourced from Premier Members CU primary sources (22 pages reviewed). How we research.
Premier Members CU
Subsidiary of Meritrust Credit Union (merged August 1, 2025; pmcu.org transitioned to colorado.meritrust.org March 8, 2026)
colorado.meritrust.org→Phone1-303-657-7000
Emailinfo@meritrust.org
Mailing Address
Meritrust Credit Union, 360 Interlocken Blvd, Broomfield, CO 80021
WebsiteLearn more→
Phone1-303-657-7000
Emailinfo@meritrust.org
Mailing Address
Meritrust Credit Union, 360 Interlocken Blvd, Broomfield, CO 80021
WebsiteLearn more→
Member Services
Phone1-303-657-7000
Emailinfo@meritrust.org
Mailing Address
Meritrust Credit Union, 360 Interlocken Blvd, Broomfield, CO 80021
WebsiteNotify online→
Verified Jul 2026
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