What to do when a Thrivent account holder dies
Report the death to Thrivent's Claims at 1-920-628-6312
A death claim on a Thrivent policy is filed through the Claims (1-920-628-6312). Because insurance proceeds pass directly to named beneficiaries, this process is separate from probate. The required documentation and timeline vary by policy type.
Death claim process
Follow these steps to file a death claim with Thrivent:
Filing a claim
- Report the death online on Thrivent's report page. Anyone can report the loss, not only a beneficiary
- Or call 920-628-6312 to initiate the claim by telephone, or contact your Thrivent financial professional
- The report page says Thrivent will contact the beneficiaries of record within 2 weeks
- Life, annuity and settlement-option contracts: each claimant completes a separate Beneficiary Claim Statement (Form 28E) and lists a contract number for every claim election
- Form 28E CASH covers a full cash distribution by check or direct deposit
- Forms 28E and 28E CASH cannot be used for brokerage or mutual fund death claims. For those, call 1-800-847-4836 and give the business line when prompted
- Thrivent Funds accounts: Non-Retirement Beneficiary Claim (MF34914) or Retirement Beneficiary Claim (MF34915)
- A primary beneficiary of an individual, joint or IRA Thrivent Funds account can request a full redemption of $50,000 or less on the Express Beneficiary Distribution form (MF31399)
- Class or per stirpes designations: Surviving Beneficiary Affidavit (5909) or Deceased Beneficiary's Children Affidavit (5909A), both notarized. Call 920-628-6312 to confirm whether one is needed
- Life, annuity and settlement-option claims: Thrivent, PO Box 8075, Appleton, WI 54912-8075, or fax 800-225-2264
- The claims FAQ also gives Thrivent, Attn: Claims, 4321 N. Ballard Rd., Appleton, WI 54919
- Thrivent Funds claims: Thrivent Funds, PO Box 219348, Kansas City, MO 64121-9348, or fax 866-278-8363
- Thrivent may request additional documentation depending on the claim
- Once a claim election has been processed, the transaction cannot be reversed
- Enter the deceased person's name, Social Security number, date of birth and date of death, your own name, phone and address, and optionally the funeral home
- Anyone can report the loss; it does not need to be a beneficiary
- Call 920-628-6312 to initiate a death claim
- For annuity and life insurance claim questions, claim status, and beneficiary options, call 920-628-6713
- With a rotary phone, call 800-847-4836 and say "claims" when prompted
- For brokerage or mutual fund death claims, call 1-800-847-4836 and give the business line when prompted
- Life, annuity and settlement-option contracts: Form 28E, or Form 28E CASH for a full cash distribution
- Thrivent Funds non-retirement accounts: MF34914
- Thrivent Funds retirement accounts: MF34915, which offers an internal transfer to an inherited IRA, a spousal rollover, or a full distribution
- Class or per stirpes designations: Surviving Beneficiary Affidavit (5909) or Deceased Beneficiary's Children Affidavit (5909A), both notarized. Call 920-628-6312 to confirm whether one is needed
- Life and annuity: a copy of the certified death certificate for claims up to $500,000; an original certified death certificate for claims over $500,000; both must show the cause and manner of death
- Thrivent Funds: a copy of the certified death certificate if not on file
- Thrivent Funds: a copy of a court-sealed or notarized document naming your authority when funds are paid to an estate or personal representative
- Thrivent Funds: a copy of a state inheritance tax waiver where the state requires one
- Life and annuity: Thrivent, PO Box 8075, Appleton, WI 54912-8075, or fax 800-225-2264
- Thrivent Funds: Thrivent Funds, PO Box 219348, Kansas City, MO 64121-9348 (express: 801 Pennsylvania Ave, Suite 219348, Kansas City, MO 64105), or fax 866-278-8363
Required Documents
- Beneficiary Claim Statement (Form 28E), for life, annuity and settlement-option contractsOne per claimant, with a contract number for each claim election. Form 28E CASH is used instead for a full cash distribution.
- Death certificate, for life and annuity claimsUp to $500,000: a copy of the certified death certificate. Over $500,000: an original certified death certificate, mailed. Both must show the cause and manner of death.
- Beneficiary Social Security number or EIN and contact information
- Certification of Trust (24143A), if a trustee is claiming
- Letters testamentary, or papers or letters verifying the appointment, if an executor or administrator is claiming
- Copy of the power of attorney document, if an agent is claiming
- Court certified letter of guardianship or conservatorship, if a legal guardian or custodian is claiming
- Business Entity Information form (23438), if a charitable organization or elected officer is claiming
- Deceased Additional Health Information form (34903), for some life insurance claimsRequired when the life insurance contract was in force two years or less, an accidental death benefit rider applies to an accidental death, or the circumstances of death were unusual.
- Surviving Beneficiary Affidavit (5909) or Deceased Beneficiary's Children Affidavit, for a class designation such as children (5909), or a per stirpes share of a predeceased beneficiary (5909A)Each is notarized.
- Thrivent Funds beneficiary claim form, for Thrivent Funds accountsNon-Retirement Beneficiary Claim (MF34914), Retirement Beneficiary Claim (MF34915) or Express Beneficiary Distribution (MF31399).
- Copy of the certified death certificate, for Thrivent Funds accounts, if one is not already on file with ThriventOn the Express Beneficiary Distribution, a notary validates the signature when no death certificate is provided.
- Copy of a court-sealed or notarized document naming your authority, for Thrivent Funds accounts, when funds are paid to an estate or personal representative
- Copy of a state inheritance tax waiver, for Thrivent Funds accounts, where the state requires one
Claims Contact
Website: Online portal →
Forms Thrivent issues7
- Beneficiary Claim Statement for a full cash distribution (Form 28E CASH)
Completed by each claimant. Available to download.3
- Surviving Beneficiary Affidavit (5909)
Available to download. Must be notarized.4
- Deceased Beneficiary's Children Affidavit (5909A)
Available to download. Must be notarized.5
- Thrivent Funds Non-Retirement Beneficiary Claim (MF34914)
Available to download.6
- Thrivent Funds Retirement Beneficiary Claim (MF34915)
Available to download.7
- Thrivent Funds Express Beneficiary Distribution (MF31399)
Completed by a primary beneficiary of an individual, joint or IRA account. Available to download.8
What happens to each kind of account2
- IRA
For a Thrivent Funds retirement account, the Retirement Beneficiary Claim (MF34915) offers an internal transfer to an inherited IRA, a spousal rollover, or a full distribution.7
- Investment account
A primary beneficiary of an individual, joint or IRA Thrivent Funds account can request a full redemption of $50,000 or less on the Express Beneficiary Distribution form (MF31399).8
Accounts handled elsewhere3
- Thrivent Funds
Brokerage and Thrivent Funds mutual fund death claims, at the Kansas City processing center9, 6, 7
Phone: 1-800-847-4836
Fax: 1-866-278-8363
Mailing address: Thrivent Funds, PO Box 219348, Kansas City, MO 64121-9348 (express: 801 Pennsylvania Ave, Suite 219348, Kansas City, MO 64105)
- Thrivent Bank
Deposit accounts; a separate Utah-chartered industrial bank10
Phone: 1-833-347-1600
- Thrivent Trust Company
Serving as the executor, personal representative or successor trustee who files these claims, when named11
What Thrivent provides to the estate1
- Tax forms
Beneficiaries of death claim proceeds receive a Form 1099 from Thrivent.9
Help Thrivent offers survivors1
- Grief care resources
Thrivent's claims pages carry grief care resources.12
What Thrivent's agreement and guidance say4
- Telling the institution
Anyone can report the loss of a loved one to Thrivent. It does not need to be a beneficiary.13
- What it does when notified
Thrivent's report page says it contacts the beneficiaries of record within 2 weeks; its claims FAQ says within the next 10 business days. Processing time depends on the claim, and Thrivent may request additional documentation.13, 14
- How proceeds are paid
A claim election cannot be reversed once it has been processed.9
A full cash distribution, by check or direct deposit, is elected on Form 28E CASH.3
- Membership
Form 28E states that a claimant who is not part of the Thrivent membership and would like to join files form 15659.2
Sources14
- 1.Forms
- 2.Beneficiary Claim Statement (Form 28E)
- 3.Beneficiary Claim Statement, cash distribution (Form 28E CASH)
- 4.Surviving Beneficiary Affidavit (5909)
- 5.Deceased Beneficiary's Children Affidavit (5909A)
- 6.Thrivent Funds Non-Retirement Beneficiary Claim (MF34914)
- 7.Thrivent Funds Retirement Beneficiary Claim (MF34915)
- 8.Thrivent Funds Express Beneficiary Distribution (MF31399)
- 9.Claims
- 10.Thrivent Bank: Contact us
- 11.Trust services
- 12.Grief care resources
- 13.Report the death of a loved one
- 14.Claims FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Each claimant files a separate Beneficiary Claim Statement (Form 28E, https://www.thrivent.com/files/28E.pdf), which covers life, annuity and settlement-option products only, with a contract number for every claim election. The death certificate rule depends on the claim amount: for claims up to $500,000, a copy of the certified death certificate showing the cause and manner of death, faxed or mailed; for claims over $500,000, an original certified death certificate showing the cause and manner of death, mailed. The Deceased Additional Health Information form (34903) is also required if the life insurance contract was in force two years or less, an accidental death benefit rider applies to an accidental death, or the circumstances of death were unusual. A trustee claimant files a Certification of Trust (24143A), an executor or administrator files letters testamentary or other papers verifying the appointment, an agent files a copy of the power of attorney, and a charitable organization files the Business Entity Information form (23438). Once a claim election is processed it cannot be reversed. Mail to Thrivent, PO Box 8075, Appleton, WI 54912-8075, or fax 800-225-2264.
Thrivent is membership-owned, and its members share a common bond of Christianity: a Christian or the spouse of a Christian can apply for membership. Thrivent sells its life insurance and annuities only to members; clients without membership can buy non-fraternal services such as financial planning and non-insurance investments. The fraternal structure limits who can be named as a beneficiary on a Thrivent life or annuity contract. Section 5 of Thrivent's bylaws allows the member, a spouse, child, parent or other person related to the member by blood, marriage or legal adoption, foster parents, a betrothed, dependents, or (where not prohibited by law) the member's estate; charities, churches, educational institutions, nonprofits and certain other entities can be named with Thrivent's consent. A trust named as beneficiary must have beneficiaries who are all eligible under the bylaws, and the trustees certify this on the Certification of Trust (24143A). On the claim side, Form 28E states that a claimant who is not part of the Thrivent membership and would like to join files form 15659.
The Thrivent Funds Beneficiary Designation Request (MF307) states that shareholders in the Funds may have their shares transferred on death directly to designated beneficiaries as permitted under the Minnesota Uniform Transfer on Death Security Registration Act (Minn. Stat. 524.6-301 to 524.6-311), and it directs the transfer agent to transfer the shares under that Act. On the same form: TOD is not available on accounts registered as trusts, corporations, estates, tenants in common, custodial accounts, or community property without rights of survivorship; naming a beneficiary on a joint or community property account establishes a right of survivorship, and no transfer occurs until the death of all owners; and the designation covers all shares in the account, including shares purchased later. The form also states that Thrivent will not be liable for acting on the designation on file unless it has received a properly documented community property or marital property agreement claim before paying death proceeds.
Thrivent's Claims can be reached by phone at 1-920-628-6312 and fax at 1-800-225-2264 for questions throughout the claims process.
Sources
Data sourced from Thrivent primary sources (35 pages reviewed). How we research.
Thrivent death claims support
Claims
Phone
Annuity and life insurance claim questions
Brokerage and mutual fund death claims
Long-Term Care Claims (new claim)
Long-Term Care Claims (existing claim)
Disability Income Claims
Medicare Supplement Claims (members)
Medicare Supplement Claims (providers)
Rotary phone
Fax
Mailing address
Website
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