What to do when a SILAC account holder dies
Contact SILAC — 6-step process, 6 required documents, and claims are typically processed within 10-30 business days after receipt of all required documentation. processing time may be extended if additional documentation or review is required.
SILAC
Subsidiary of SILAC, Inc. (pending acquisition by Hildene Capital Management, LLC, announced December 2025, expected to close mid-2026)
silacins.com→
Customer Service
SILAC Insurance Company, PO Box 30245, Salt Lake City, UT 84130-0245
Customer Service
SILAC Insurance Company, PO Box 30245, Salt Lake City, UT 84130-0245
Death Claims
SILAC Insurance Company, PO Box 30245, Salt Lake City, UT 84130-0245
Filing a death claim on a SILAC policy begins with notifying the Death Claims at 1-800-352-5150. Life insurance claims are separate from probate—proceeds transfer directly to named beneficiaries regardless of whether the estate goes through court. The timeline and documentation requirements depend on the policy type and cause of death.
The claim process can be initiated by phone at 1-800-352-5150 or by sending documentation to Annuity.CE@SILACIns.com. Have the account holder's full name, account numbers, and a certified death certificate available when making initial contact.
Death claim process
The death claim process at SILAC works as follows:
Filing a claim
- Call SILAC customer service at 800-352-5150 (Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. MST)
- Provide the contract number, the deceased's full legal name, date of birth, and date of death
- Identify yourself as the beneficiary or authorized representative
- SILAC will send the Annuity Death Claim Form packet to the designated beneficiary
- The form can also be downloaded directly: standard form at https://media.silacins.com/annuity/death_of_owner.pdf, California version at https://media.silacins.com/annuity/death_of_owner_CA.pdf, Iowa version at https://media.silacins.com/annuity/death_of_owner_IA.pdf
- Complete all sections of the form with claimant information, relationship to the deceased, and payment election
- Obtain a certified copy of the death certificate issued by the state in which the deceased passed away
- Provide a government-issued photo ID for each claimant
- If the beneficiary is a trust: provide a copy of the trust document or Certification of Trust, trustee identification, and the trust Tax Identification Number (EIN)
- If proceeds are payable to an estate: provide Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration from the probate court and the estate Tax Identification Number
- Lump sum payment of the full account value
- Other available distribution options as outlined in the contract
- For MYGA products (Secure Savings and Secure Savings Elite): full account value at death is automatically included as a standard feature
Required Documents
- Completed Annuity Death Claim Form (CA or IA version as applicable)
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- Government-issued photo ID for each claimant
- Contract number or policy information
- Copy of trust document or Certification of Trust and trust Tax Identification Number (if trust is beneficiary)
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration and estate Tax Identification Number (if estate is beneficiary)
Claims Contact
What to know at this institution
If the annuitant dies before the annuity matures and before annuitization, the beneficiary receives the full account value as a death benefit. For MYGA products (Secure Savings and Secure Savings Elite), full account value at death is automatically included as a standard feature with no additional cost. Spousal continuation is also included at no charge on MYGA and FIA products, allowing a surviving spouse to continue the contract rather than taking a distribution. Separate Death Claim Form versions are available for California (CA) and Iowa (IA) contracts. Policyholders may also manage their annuity through the online portal at portal.silacins.com.
Prepare your letter of instruction to SILAC
SILAC provides its own letter-of-instruction form. Answer a few questions and we complete that official form for you to print and sign.
Build your letter of instructionExpected timelines at SILAC: Claims are typically processed within 10-30 business days after receipt of all required documentation. Processing time may be extended if additional documentation or review is required. Delays are almost always caused by incomplete paperwork—gathering all required documents before filing the initial claim helps avoid back-and-forth.
SILAC requires several documents to process a claim, including Completed Annuity Death Claim Form (CA or IA version as applicable), Certified copy of the death certificate, and Government-issued photo ID for each claimant, 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
All SILAC MYGA and FIA products include spousal continuation automatically at no additional cost. If the contract owner dies and the surviving spouse is the named beneficiary, the spouse may elect to continue the contract in their own name rather than taking a death benefit distribution. This can preserve the annuity contract and its tax-deferred status. The surviving spouse assumes ownership under the same contract terms. This feature is available on the Secure Savings, Secure Savings Elite, Teton, Denali, Evolve, and Vega series.
SILAC Secure Savings and Secure Savings Elite MYGAs automatically include full account value at death as a standard feature at no additional cost. If the contract owner dies before the surrender charge period ends, beneficiaries receive the full account value rather than the cash surrender value, which would otherwise reflect any applicable surrender charge deduction. Beneficiaries must submit the Annuity Death Claim Form (available at https://media.silacins.com/annuity/death_of_owner.pdf), a certified death certificate, and government-issued photo ID. Separate form versions apply for California and Iowa contracts.
When a trust is named as beneficiary of a SILAC annuity, the trustee must submit: the completed Annuity Death Claim Form, a certified copy of the death certificate, a copy of the trust document or Certification of Trust, government-issued photo ID for the trustee, and the trust Tax Identification Number (EIN). The trustee must be authorized to act on behalf of the trust and sign the claim form as the representative. Claims are typically processed within 10-30 business days after all required documentation is received. Contact SILAC at 800-352-5150 or initiate the claim through the online portal at portal.silacins.com.
SILAC's Death Claims can be reached by phone at 1-800-352-5150 and email at Annuity.CE@SILACIns.com for questions throughout the claims process.
If the deceased held multiple SILAC policies, each may require a separate claim or have different documentation requirements. The Death Claims can confirm which accounts require individual attention and which can be processed together.
Sources
Data sourced from SILAC primary sources (19 pages reviewed). How we research.
SILAC
Subsidiary of SILAC, Inc. (pending acquisition by Hildene Capital Management, LLC, announced December 2025, expected to close mid-2026)
silacins.com→Customer Service
SILAC Insurance Company, PO Box 30245, Salt Lake City, UT 84130-0245
Customer Service
SILAC Insurance Company, PO Box 30245, Salt Lake City, UT 84130-0245
Death Claims
SILAC Insurance Company, PO Box 30245, Salt Lake City, UT 84130-0245
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