What to do when a Security Service FCU account holder dies
Report the death to Security Service FCU's Account Services Survivor Assistance at 1-800-832-4602
After a member of Security Service FCU dies, the Account Services Survivor Assistance 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 claim process
Follow these steps to file a death claim with Security Service FCU:
Filing a claim
- Outstanding debts owed by the deceased person
- Direct deposits received after the date of death
- The deceased person's debit and credit cards, including authorized user access
- Online banking access and scheduled bill payments
- IRAs, certificates, and investments with Security Service Investment Group
- Powers of attorney, which are no longer valid after death
- Safe deposit box access
- Death certificate
- Written request for payout
- Court documents for the estate
Required Documents
- Death certificateThe Survivor Assistance Guide lists "Death Certificate" and the Informant Checklist lists "Certified Death Certificate". It is not required when a surviving joint owner closes the account(s).
- Written request for payout
- Court documents for the estate, may be required where no joint account owner or pay-on-death beneficiary is listedThese include Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
- Identification of the executor or administrator and of the beneficiaries
- Certification of Trust, new or amended trust documents, or EIN documentation, for a trust
Forms Security Service FCU issues1
- Deceased Account Checklist
Completed online.1
What happens to each kind of account2
State law on paying a balance without lettersTexas
- Texas
Tex. Est. Code § 152.051
Texas law permits a credit union to pay from a deceased member's balance on an order of the court, without letters testamentary or letters of administration.Tex. Est. Code § 152.051Verified Oct 3, 2026View source
Paid to: a funeral home or the applicant, for funeral and burial expenses
Limit: $5,000 in total from every holder
When: the application may be filed "not earlier than the third day after the date of the decedent's death and not later than nine months after the date of the decedent's death"
The section permits the payment. It does not require the credit union to make it. The section sets further conditions.
What Security Service FCU's agreement and guidance say2
- Payments after the death
Under the consumer account agreement, the credit union may pay or certify checks drawn on or before the date of death for up to 10 days after death, unless ordered to stop payment by someone claiming an interest in the account.3
- Powers of attorney
The Informant Checklist says powers of attorney are no longer valid after death.4
Security Service FCU's Account Services Survivor Assistance can be reached by phone at 1-800-832-4602, email at survivorassistance@ssfcu.org, and fax at 1-210-476-4047 for questions throughout the claims process.
Sources
(2)·
Data sourced from Security Service FCU primary sources (36 pages reviewed). How we research.
Security Service FCU death claims support
Account Services Survivor Assistance
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Free forms for settling an estate: probate petition, small estate affidavit, creditor notice and closing forms. Prepare each form for your state.
Affidavit of Death
Put a joint owner's or a transfer on death deed owner's death on the land records with the affidavit your state's statute names, laid out for recording.
IRS Form 56
Notify the IRS that you are the fiduciary of an estate, a trust or a person, or end a notice filed before, on the official form.
Digital Assets Recovery Letter
Prepare a letter requesting a deceased person's online accounts, points, and balances from the program that holds them.
Petition for Probate and Letters
Open probate and ask the court to appoint you and issue Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
Notice to Creditors
Notify estate creditors and start the claim period — the published notice plus mailed copies for known creditors.
Renunciation of Executor
Decline an appointment as executor named in a will — the writing filed with the court before anyone is appointed.
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