What to do when a State Street account holder dies
Contact State Street's Shareholder Service Center (Estate/Survivor Services) — 4-step process, 8 required documents, and processing times vary; contact the shareholder service center for current estimates after submitting documentation
Shareholder Service Center (Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM-8:00 PM ET)
Phone1-800-242-0134
Mailing Address
State Street Global Advisors, c/o U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, P.O. Box 219238, Kansas City, MO 64121-9238 | Overnight: 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, WI 53202-5207
International
Online Account Access Support
ETFs and Mutual Funds (general inquiries)
WebsiteLearn more→
Shareholder Service Center (Estate/Survivor Services)
Phone1-800-242-0134
Mailing Address
State Street Global Advisors, c/o U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, P.O. Box 219238, Kansas City, MO 64121-9238 | Overnight: 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, WI 53202-5207
WebsiteLearn more→
Shareholder Service Center (Death Claims / Survivor Services)
Phone1-800-242-0134
Mailing Address
State Street Global Advisors, c/o U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, P.O. Box 219238, Kansas City, MO 64121-9238 | Overnight: 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, WI 53202-5207
WebsiteNotify online→
Verified Jul 2026
When a State Street account holder passes away, the next step depends on how the investment accounts were set up. Accounts with beneficiary designations or trust ownership transfer outside of probate. Accounts titled solely in the deceased's name require the estate's legal representative to work with State Street's Shareholder Service Center (Estate/Survivor Services) (1-800-242-0134) to access and distribute the funds.
Death claims at State Street 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
The death claim process at State Street works as follows:
Filing a claim
1
For SPDR ETFs held in a brokerage account: contact the holding brokerage directly—death claims for ETF shares are processed by the broker, not State Street
2
For State Street Funds mutual funds held directly through the transfer agent:
- Call the Shareholder Service Center at 1-800-242-0134 to report the death and receive instructions
- Complete the Survivor Reregistration and Redemption Options Form, selecting the appropriate relationship (estate, beneficiary, surviving owner, or successor/surviving trustee)
3
Follow the process for your account type:
- If a TOD beneficiary was designated on a non-IRA mutual fund account: provide a death certificate and valid ID; proceeds transfer to designated beneficiary(ies) without probate
- If an IRA account with named beneficiaries: complete the Beneficiary IRA Payout Form to initiate distributions
- If no beneficiary or TOD designation exists: the estate must be established with a Tax Identification Number (TIN/EIN); obtain letters testamentary or small estate affidavit as required by state law
- If a trust is the account owner: provide trust documentation, successor trustee identification, and instructions for re-registration or redemption
4
Mail all completed forms and supporting documents to the transfer agent:
- Regular mail: State Street Global Advisors, c/o U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, P.O. Box 219238, Kansas City, MO 64121-9238
- Overnight/express delivery: State Street Global Advisors, c/o U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, WI 53202-5207
Required Documents
- Certified copy of death certificate
- Valid government-issued photo ID for claimant (beneficiary, executor, or successor trustee)
- Completed Survivor Reregistration and Redemption Options Form (for mutual fund accounts)
- For TOD accounts: identification for each TOD beneficiary
- For IRA accounts with beneficiaries: completed Beneficiary IRA Payout Form
- For estate claims (no beneficiary): letters testamentary or letters of administration, or small estate affidavit (state-specific)
- For estate claims: Estate Tax Identification Number (EIN) issued by the IRS
- For trust-owned accounts: Certification of Trust or relevant trust pages showing successor trustee authority
What to know at this institution
SPDR ETF shares held in a retail brokerage account are subject to that broker's death claim process—not State Street's. State Street's direct estate settlement process applies only to State Street Funds mutual fund accounts and IRA accounts serviced through U.S. Bancorp Fund Services as transfer agent. For estate accounts, the estate must remain open (with an active EIN) until the account balance is fully distributed. Beneficiary IRA distributions must begin by December 31 of the year following the account owner's date of death.
Prepare your letter of instruction to State Street
State Street 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 instructionHow long the process takes at State Street: Processing times vary; contact the Shareholder Service Center for current estimates after submitting documentation. The most common reason for delays is missing or incomplete documentation, so submitting everything upfront is the best way to keep things moving.
State Street requires several documents to process a claim, including Certified copy of death certificate, Valid government-issued photo ID for claimant (beneficiary, executor, or successor trustee), and Completed Survivor Reregistration and Redemption Options Form (for mutual fund accounts), 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
TOD registration is available to individual account owners and joint accounts held as Joint Tenants with Right of Survivorship or Tenants by the Entireties. TOD is not available for Tenants in Common, community property registrations, or accounts owned by entities such as trusts, corporations, or partnerships. Additionally, TOD requires the account owner to reside in a state that has adopted the Uniform Transfer on Death Security Registration Act.
Up to nine beneficiaries may be designated per account using the Transfer on Death Designation Form. If you wish to designate more than nine beneficiaries, you can split your investment into separate accounts and designate up to nine beneficiaries on each.
State Street's Shareholder Service Center (Death Claims / Survivor Services) can be reached by phone at 1-800-242-0134 for questions throughout the claims process.
If the deceased held multiple State Street investment accounts, each may require a separate claim or have different documentation requirements. The Shareholder Service Center (Estate/Survivor Services) can confirm which accounts require individual attention and which can be processed together.
Sources
Data sourced from State Street primary sources (14 pages reviewed). How we research.
Shareholder Service Center (Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM-8:00 PM ET)
Phone1-800-242-0134
Mailing Address
State Street Global Advisors, c/o U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, P.O. Box 219238, Kansas City, MO 64121-9238 | Overnight: 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, WI 53202-5207
International
Online Account Access Support
ETFs and Mutual Funds (general inquiries)
WebsiteLearn more→
Shareholder Service Center (Estate/Survivor Services)
Phone1-800-242-0134
Mailing Address
State Street Global Advisors, c/o U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, P.O. Box 219238, Kansas City, MO 64121-9238 | Overnight: 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, WI 53202-5207
WebsiteLearn more→
Shareholder Service Center (Death Claims / Survivor Services)
Phone1-800-242-0134
Mailing Address
State Street Global Advisors, c/o U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, P.O. Box 219238, Kansas City, MO 64121-9238 | Overnight: 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, WI 53202-5207
WebsiteNotify online→
Verified Jul 2026
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