What to do when a RBFCU account holder dies
Contact RBFCU's RBFCU Trust Services (MEMBERS Trust Company) — 6-step process, 10 required documents, and pod accounts typically processed within 5-10 business days upon verification; joint accounts updated immediately; estate accounts requiring probate vary based on court timelines
Phone210-945-3300
Toll-Free1-800-580-3300
Mailing Address
RBFCU, P.O. Box 2097, Universal City, TX 78148-2097
WebsiteLearn more→
RBFCU Trust Services (MEMBERS Trust Company)
Phone210-637-4117
Mailing Address
1 IKEA-RBFCU Parkway, Live Oak, Texas 78233
RBFCU Estate Assistance Department
Phone210-945-3300
Toll-Free1-800-580-3300
Mailing Address
RBFCU, P.O. Box 2097, Universal City, Texas 78148-2097
WebsiteNotify online→
Verified Jul 2026
After a RBFCU member dies, the RBFCU Trust Services (MEMBERS Trust Company) manages the transfer of accounts. POD-designated and trust-owned accounts pass directly to beneficiaries. Accounts held solely in the member's name may require probate court documents—Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration—before funds can be released.
Death claims at RBFCU can be started through an online portal, which streamlines the initial notification and document upload. Phone and mail options are also available.
Death claim process
Here is the step-by-step death claim process at RBFCU:
Filing a claim
1
Contact RBFCU Estate Assistance Representatives at 210-945-3300 or visit any RBFCU branch
2
Gather required documents:
- Certified death certificate
- Your government-issued photo ID
- Deceased member's Social Security number or account number
- Any applicable estate documents (will, Letters Testamentary, trust documents)
3
Claim process depends on account type:
- For POD accounts: each named POD payee provides a certified death certificate and government-issued photo ID; under Section 3 of the Membership and Account Agreement the funds remaining after all Credit Union obligations (such as loan balances) are satisfied are owned by the surviving POD payees in equal shares, POD accounts are not part of the owner's estate, and all POD payouts are subject to Texas Estates Code Chapter 123 (Section 123.151, dissolution of marriage) — so confirm whether a divorce affected the designation
- For joint accounts: RBFCU opens a Multiple-Party Account WITH right of survivorship only if that was expressly elected. With survivorship, all sums vest in the surviving party on the date of death and the survivor keeps full access; WITHOUT that election, the deceased party's interest passes through the estate. The agreement makes no representation about consequences arising out of community property laws, which matters for married Texas members
- For non-POD accounts without joint owners: the executor or administrator opens an estate account and provides Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration
- For small estates: may qualify for a Texas Small Estate Affidavit (Texas Estates Code Chapter 205). Per the Supreme Court of Texas statewide Small Estate Affidavit kit, it can be used only if the decedent died WITHOUT a will, at least 30 days have passed since death, the total value of the assets excluding the homestead and exempt personal property is not more than $75,000, and the assets exceed the debts
4
RBFCU reviews documentation and verifies authority, then restructures or settles the accounts (Section 16 of the agreement prohibits establishing or updating an account with a deceased account owner)
5
Keep the Letters current: under Section 10 (Accounts for Guardianships and Estates), once RBFCU receives notice that Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration have expired without renewal, it has no obligation to honor any check presented or any withdrawal request on the estate account until renewed Letters are provided
6
Account resolution:
- To open an estate account, provide an RBFCU Specialized Account Application (provided by RBFCU and signed by the executor or administrator), Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration, the estate EIN letter from the IRS, a death certificate, and executor photo ID
- Freeze, transfer, or close accounts as directed by the authorized party
- Stop any scheduled bill payments, direct deposits, loan and credit card payments, and review safe deposit boxes on the deceased member's accounts
Required Documents
- Certified death certificate
- Government-issued photo ID for claimant
- Deceased member's Social Security number or account number
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (if estate requires probate)
- Texas Small Estate Affidavit (Texas Estates Code Chapter 205; available only where the decedent left no will, at least 30 days have passed since death, the assets excluding homestead and exempt personal property total $75,000 or less, and the assets exceed the debts)
- RBFCU Specialized Account Application, provided by RBFCU and signed by the executor or administrator, to open an estate account
- Estate or trust Tax Identification Number (TIN) / Employer Identification Number (EIN) letter from the IRS
- Certificate of Trust or Trust Agreement plus any trust amendments (if a trust is beneficiary or the account is trust-titled)
- Will and powers of attorney (note: a power of attorney ceases at the member's death)
- Recent account statements (recommended)
Claims Contact
What to know at this institution
RBFCU provides "A Financial Guide Following the Loss of a Loved One" with step-by-step worksheets and checklists for settling accounts, listing the documents it may need (death certificate, Letters Testamentary or of Administration, TIN, Small Estate Affidavit, Certificate of Trust or Trust Agreement, trust amendments, and the IRS EIN letter for a trust). Available as PDF at https://www.rbfcu.org/docs/default-source/membership/how-to-settle-deceased-bank-accounts.pdf. The RBFCU Estate Assistance Department is available at 210-945-3300 to guide the settlement. Under the Membership and Account Agreement (https://www.rbfcu.org/docs/default-source/membership/membership-agreement-and-disclosures.pdf), Section 15 (Death or Incompetence of Account Owner) lets RBFCU place a hold on funds but also lets it continue accepting deposits and paying checks, payment orders, and other transactions until it is notified of the death and has a reasonable opportunity to act on that notice; even after notice it may still pay items drawn against the account or payment orders the deceased authorized unless a person claiming an interest in the account orders a stop payment, and it may require that person to indemnify the credit union against any losses arising out of paying the claim. The same section lets RBFCU keep paying dividends after death, suppresses periodic statements on a single-party deceased account (available on request to heirs or the legal representative), and provides that it may rely on its records as of the date of death when making distributions. Section 16 (Deceased Member Accounts) explains that NCUA share insurance covers a deceased member's accounts as if the member were still living for six months after death, after which coverage is based on actual ownership, that it is prohibited to establish or update an account with a deceased owner, and that a deceased owner may be removed from an account without notice once six months have passed. Section 3 (POD Accounts) states that POD accounts are not part of the owner's estate, that surviving POD payees take equal shares after all Credit Union obligations are satisfied, that the heirs, executors, and personal representatives agree to indemnify RBFCU against any claim arising from the POD payout, and that all POD payouts are subject to Texas Estates Code Section 123.151 (dissolution of marriage). Under the funds-transfer terms, any U.S. Government benefit payment (such as Social Security) direct-deposited into a deceased person's account is returned to the processing agency based on the effective date submitted by the agency, and RBFCU may deduct a reimbursed benefit payment from any of the member's accounts without prior notice, even if that overdraws the account; survivors who believe they are entitled to a payment must contact the paying agency.
How long the process takes at RBFCU: POD accounts typically processed within 5-10 business days upon verification; joint accounts updated immediately; estate accounts requiring probate vary based on court timelines. The most common reason for delays is missing or incomplete documentation, so submitting everything upfront is the best way to keep things moving.
RBFCU requires several documents to process a claim, including Certified death certificate, Government-issued photo ID for claimant, and Deceased member's Social Security number or account number, 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
Only if survivorship was expressly elected. The RBFCU Membership and Account Agreement offers two forms of Multiple-Party Account: WITH right of survivorship, where all sums in the account on the date of death vest in and belong to the surviving party as their separate property, and WITHOUT right of survivorship, where the deceased party's ownership passes through their estate under their will or Texas intestacy law. An account is a survivorship account only if the owners so elected and the account records show it. RBFCU also states it makes no representation about the legal consequences of a survivorship designation, including any consequences arising out of community property laws, which is the point married Texas members most often get wrong: titling community-property funds jointly does not by itself create survivorship. Either way, the surviving owner's interest stays subject to any RBFCU lien for the deceased party's obligations, and you present a certified death certificate so RBFCU can restructure the account.
A single-party account with no POD designation passes as part of the deceased's estate, under their will or by Texas intestacy law if there is no valid will. The executor or administrator opens an estate account with an RBFCU Specialized Account Application (RBFCU provides it), Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration, the IRS EIN letter for the estate, a death certificate, and photo ID. Keep the Letters current: Section 10 of the agreement says that once RBFCU is notified the Letters expired without renewal, it has no obligation to honor any check or withdrawal request on that account until renewed Letters are provided. For smaller estates, a Texas Small Estate Affidavit (Texas Estates Code Chapter 205) may be used instead of Letters. Per the Supreme Court of Texas statewide Small Estate Affidavit kit, it requires that the decedent left no will, that at least 30 days have passed since the death, that the assets excluding the homestead and exempt personal property total no more than $75,000, and that the assets exceed the debts.
Under Section 16 of the RBFCU Membership and Account Agreement, NCUA share insurance covers a deceased member's accounts as if the member were still living for six months after death; after that grace period, coverage is based on actual ownership, and a deceased owner may be removed from an account without notice once six months have passed. On direct deposits, RBFCU returns any U.S. Government benefit payment (such as Social Security) that posts to a deceased person's account, based on the effective date the agency submitted, and it may deduct a reimbursed benefit payment from any of the member's accounts without prior notice even if that overdraws the account. Survivors who believe they are entitled to a payment must contact the paying agency directly. Section 15 also lets RBFCU keep paying checks and payment orders the member authorized until it is notified of the death and has a reasonable opportunity to act, so notify the Estate Assistance Department at 210-945-3300 promptly.
RBFCU's RBFCU Estate Assistance Department can be reached by phone at 1-800-580-3300 and email at memberservices@rbfcu.org for questions throughout the claims process.
When the deceased had multiple RBFCU accounts, some may need separate claims while others can be handled together. The RBFCU Trust Services (MEMBERS Trust Company) can clarify what's needed for each account type.
Sources
Data sourced from RBFCU primary sources (19 pages reviewed). How we research.
Phone210-945-3300
Toll-Free1-800-580-3300
Mailing Address
RBFCU, P.O. Box 2097, Universal City, TX 78148-2097
WebsiteLearn more→
RBFCU Trust Services (MEMBERS Trust Company)
Phone210-637-4117
Mailing Address
1 IKEA-RBFCU Parkway, Live Oak, Texas 78233
RBFCU Estate Assistance Department
Phone210-945-3300
Toll-Free1-800-580-3300
Mailing Address
RBFCU, P.O. Box 2097, Universal City, Texas 78148-2097
WebsiteNotify online→
Verified Jul 2026
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