What to do when a SCCU account holder dies
Contact SCCU — 5-step process, 6 required documents, and varies by account type and documentation. joint and pod accounts typically process faster than accounts requiring probate.
Space Coast Credit Union, P.O. Box 419001, Melbourne, FL 32941-9001
Space Coast Credit Union, P.O. Box 419001, Melbourne, FL 32941-9001
Operations - Estate Services
Space Coast Credit Union, ATTN: Operations, PO Box 419001, Melbourne, FL 32941
When a member of SCCU passes away, the Operations - Estate Services handles the transition of accounts to beneficiaries or the estate. Accounts with Payable on Death designations or trust ownership transfer outside of probate, while solely-owned accounts may require Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration from the probate court.
SCCU offers an online claims portal that makes the initial filing process more straightforward. Survivors can also initiate claims by phone or by mailing documentation directly.
Death claim process
The death claim process at SCCU works as follows:
Filing a claim
- Provide the deceased member's full legal name and Social Security number
- Identify your role in the estate (executor, joint owner, next of kin, trustee, etc.)
- Provide your contact information for follow-up
- Submit a certified copy of the death certificate (Long Form required for Credit Life Insurance claims)
- Documents can be submitted by email (OperationsDocuments@SCCU.com), fax (321-751-6912), mail, or in person at any branch
- Joint accounts: pass to surviving owner by right of survivorship
- Individual POD accounts: pay to named beneficiaries upon verification
- Trust accounts: successor trustee assumes control with proper documentation
- Individual accounts without POD or trust: pass to the estate (probate may be required)
Required Documents
- Certified death certificate (Long Form required for Credit Life Insurance claims; order from Florida Department of Health or state Office of Vital Statistics)
- Government-issued photo ID for beneficiary, executor, or authorized representative
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (if probate required, no POD designation)
- Small Estate Affidavit (if estate qualifies under Florida law)
- Trust documents and trustee certification (if trust is beneficiary or account is in trust)
- Insurance Proceeds Agreement form (if applicable, available at sccu.com/fees-forms-disclosures)
What to know at this institution
SCCU publishes a Financial Estate Guide (PDF) that provides a comprehensive step-by-step checklist for survivors. The guide covers the full settlement process and is available at sccu.com/fees-forms-disclosures. Regional phone numbers: Brevard 321-752-2222, Broward 954-704-5000, Miami-Dade 305-882-5000.
Prepare your letter of instruction to SCCU
SCCU accepts a claimant-drafted letter of instruction. We draft it for you — addressed to SCCU's verified claims department, with the documents it requires enclosed.
Build your letter of instructionHow long the process takes at SCCU: Varies by account type and documentation. Joint and POD accounts typically process faster than accounts requiring probate. The most common reason for delays is missing or incomplete documentation, so submitting everything upfront is the best way to keep things moving.
SCCU requires several documents to process a claim, including Certified death certificate (Long Form required for Credit Life Insurance claims; order from Florida Department of Health or state Office of Vital Statistics), Government-issued photo ID for beneficiary, executor, or authorized representative, and Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (if probate required, no POD designation), 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 joint accounts at SCCU have right of survivorship. When one account owner dies, all funds in the account pass automatically to the surviving joint owner(s). The surviving owner will need to provide a certified death certificate to update the account records.
Yes. SCCU publishes a comprehensive Financial Estate Guide (PDF) that provides a step-by-step checklist for survivors settling a deceased member's accounts. The guide is available for download at sccu.com/fees-forms-disclosures and covers common roles (executor, joint owner, next of kin), required documents, and the account settlement process.
Yes. A trust can be named as beneficiary of a Traditional or Roth IRA at SCCU. However, IRA accounts cannot themselves be retitled or transferred into a trust -- the IRA remains in the original account holder's name with the trust designated as the payable-on-death beneficiary. The standard Payable-on-Death Agreement form excludes IRA accounts, so a separate IRA beneficiary designation process applies. Contact SCCU at 800-447-7228 for the specific IRA beneficiary change process.
The documentation required depends on the account type. For joint accounts, a certified death certificate is sufficient. For POD accounts, the surviving beneficiary provides a certified death certificate and government-issued ID. For trust accounts, the successor trustee provides the death certificate plus trust documents and trustee certification. For individual accounts without POD or trust, Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration from the probate court are required. A Small Estate Affidavit may be accepted in qualifying cases under Florida law. For Credit Life Insurance claims, a Long Form death certificate is required. Submit documents by email to OperationsDocuments@SCCU.com, fax to 321-751-6912, mail, or in person at any branch.
SCCU's Operations - Estate Services can be reached by phone at 1-800-447-7228, email at OperationsDocuments@SCCU.com, and fax at (321) 751-6912 for questions throughout the claims process.
If the deceased held multiple SCCU accounts, each may require a separate claim or have different documentation requirements. The Operations - Estate Services can confirm which accounts require individual attention and which can be processed together.
Sources
Data sourced from SCCU primary sources (23 pages reviewed). How we research.
Space Coast Credit Union, P.O. Box 419001, Melbourne, FL 32941-9001
Space Coast Credit Union, P.O. Box 419001, Melbourne, FL 32941-9001
Operations - Estate Services
Space Coast Credit Union, ATTN: Operations, PO Box 419001, Melbourne, FL 32941
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