What to do when a Transamerica account holder dies
Report the death to Transamerica's Customer Service Center at 1-800-523-7900
Filing a death claim on a Transamerica policy begins with notifying the Customer Service Center at 1-800-523-7900. 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.
Death claim process
To file a claim after an account holder's death, here is what Transamerica requires:
Filing a claim
- It asks for the insured's name, Social Security number, date of birth, and policy number(s)
- It asks for the reporting person's contact details and relationship to the deceased, and the beneficiary's name, relationship, and contact details
- It asks for the date and cause of death, whether death occurred in the U.S., whether it was accidental, and whether there is a funeral home assignment
- It asks whether to send the forms to the beneficiary, the person reporting the death, or someone else, and whether forms and requirement requests may be sent by email
- Once connected, the call is routed to the Claims Department that services the policy or certificate
- Enter the policy/certificate number and select the state on the claim forms page to get the correct forms
- Fill out the claim form online, print it, and mail it back to the address listed at the top of the form
- The Claimant's Statement asks for the occupation at death, place and cause of death, and the mortician's name and address
- It also asks when the decedent first showed indications of the last illness, the source of the date of birth, the beneficiary's identification number, and the amount of the claim
- Each claimant signs a separate Claimant's Statement; one per claimant is enough however many policies are involved
- Mail: the address at the top of the claim form
- Fax: 972-881-4527, with the insured's name and the policy/certificate number
- Life insurance: 800-797-2643 (Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. ET); outside the U.S. 319-355-8511
- Annuities: 800-525-6205 (Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. ET; Friday, 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. ET); outside the U.S. 319-355-8466
- Retirement plans: 800-755-5801 (Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. ET); outside the U.S. 319-355-6581. IRAs: 866-300-0028 (Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. ET)
- Employee benefits: 888-763-7474 (Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. - 7 p.m. ET)
- Enter the insured's name, Social Security number, date of birth, and policy number(s)
- Enter your contact details and relationship to the deceased, and the beneficiary's name and contact details
- Enter the date and cause of death, whether it was accidental, whether there is a funeral home assignment, and who should receive the forms
- On the claim forms page, enter the policy/certificate number and select the state
- Fill out the form online, print it, and mail it to the address at the top of the form
- On the claim forms page, enter the policy/certificate number and select the state
- Fill out the claim form online, print it, and mail it back to the address listed at the top of the form
- The completed, signed Claimant's Statement (one per claimant) with the documents listed below
- Mail to the address at the top of the claim form; the Claimant's Statement prints Transamerica Life Insurance Company, 4333 Edgewood Road NE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52499
- Or fax to the Customer Service Center at 972-881-4527, with the insured's name and the policy/certificate number
Required Documents
- Completed Claimant's StatementOne from each claimant, regardless of the number of policies. If there is more than one claimant, each signs a separate statement.
- Certified copy of the death certificateOnly one is required regardless of the number of policies or claimants. If one is difficult to obtain, a statement from the physician who attended the insured in the last illness may be submitted for consideration.
- The policy, unless previously forwardedIf the policy is lost, circle "is not attached" on the Claimant's Statement.
- Obituary or newspaper account of the death, when available
- Documents establishing the marriage or name change, if the beneficiary's name has changed from the name listed in the policyThe beneficiary signs the Claimant's Statement exactly as the name is listed in the policy unless it has changed.
- Certified copy of the court appointment of the administrator or executor, if the estate is the beneficiaryThe administrator or executor completes the Claimant's Statement.
- Certified copy of the death certificate for each deceased beneficiary, if a joint or contingent beneficiary's interest arises or is increased through another beneficiary's prior deathProof of that beneficiary's death must reach Transamerica before the claim can be settled.
- Certified letters of guardianship or conservatorship for the minor's estate, for a minor beneficiary, if a guardian or conservator has been or will be appointed
- Affidavit of a surviving parent, if a group of children is named as the beneficiaryIt gives the full names, ages, and addresses of all children surviving the deceased. Contact Transamerica to obtain it.
- Medical history form naming the physicians and hospitals that attended the deceased, if the policy was issued or reinstated within two years of the date of deathNames and addresses covering the last ten years. Transamerica notifies the claimant in writing if it requires this outside the two-year period.
- Trustee Certification of Trust Document and Trustee Powers form (81604938), if a trust makes claim under an annuityWith a copy of the first page (title page) and the signature page of the trust document.
Claims Contact
Website: Online portal →
Forms Transamerica issues5
- First Report of Death Claim
Completed by the person reporting the death. Completed online.1
- Claim form for the policy and state
Completed online.2
- Claimant's Statement (Transamerica Life Insurance Company)
Completed by each claimant. Available to download.3
- Affidavit of a surviving parent
Completed by a surviving parent. Sent by the institution on request.3
- Trustee Certification of Trust Document and Trustee Powers (81604938)
Completed by every trustee. Available to download.4
Accounts handled elsewhere4
- Transamerica Financial Life Insurance Company (Harrison, NY)
Insurance products it offers or issues; it is the Transamerica company licensed in New York2
- Retirement plans
Workplace retirement plans5
Phone: 1-800-755-5801
Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-8:00 PM ET
- IRAs
Transamerica IRAs5
Phone: 1-866-300-0028
Hours: Monday-Friday 9:00 AM-6:00 PM ET
- Employee benefits customer service
Employer group coverage5
Phone: 1-888-763-7474
Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-7:00 PM ET
What Transamerica's agreement and guidance say5
- Payment to a minor or incapacitated beneficiary
If the beneficiary is a minor, the Claimant's Statement says advice should be obtained from Transamerica before the claim is filed.3
- Fees
The beneficiary pays any expense of obtaining the death certificate or the physician's statement. The Claimant's Statement says a claimant need not pay a third person to make the claim.3
- How proceeds are paid
On the trustee certification, payment of the proceeds to the trustee "shall fully and finally discharge the Company from all liability under the Policy", and Transamerica is not responsible for how the trustee applies them.4
- Indemnity a claimant may have to give
The trustees jointly and severally indemnify Transamerica and hold it harmless for transactions it carries out on the authorized trustees' instructions.4
- What it says about taxes
For a trust account, Transamerica assumes for income tax purposes that the decedent's state of residence is the trust's, unless the trustee notifies it otherwise with evidence.4
Not in Transamerica's published guidance1
- How long a claim takes
Sources5
- 1.First Report of Death Claim (MyTransamerica)
- 2.Claim Forms (Customer Service Center, insuranceservicenow.transamerica.com)
- 3.Claimant's Statement (Transamerica Life Insurance Company)
- 4.Trustee Certification of Trust Document and Trustee Powers, 81604938 04/23
- 5.Customer support (Contact Us, transamerica.com)
Frequently asked questions
Transamerica is several legal entities. Transamerica Life Insurance Company (Cedar Rapids, IA) issues annuities in every state except New York, Transamerica Financial Life Insurance Company (Harrison, NY) issues them in New York, and Transamerica Casualty Insurance Company (Cedar Rapids, IA) also issues insurance products. The entity is printed on the policy. Claim forms are generated per policy and per state at https://insuranceservicenow.transamerica.com/claims_form_1.aspx, and the completed form goes to the address printed at the top of the form. Trendsetter Super, Trendsetter LB, the Financial Foundation and Financial Choice IUL II policies, and FE Express Solution are issued by Transamerica Life Insurance Company and are not available in New York.
Yes. Transamerica's Trustee Certification of Trust Document and Trustee Powers form (81604938, https://www.transamerica.com/sites/default/files/forms/e070d/81604938_0423.pdf) must be completed when a trust is named as owner or beneficiary of the B-Share, I-Share II, Advisory Annuity, or Structured Index Advantage annuities. Optional living and death benefits are available on revocable and irrevocable trust-owned policies; joint living benefits only on revocable trust-owned policies filing under a Social Security Number. The same packet states the annuity will not receive tax deferral if any grantor, settlor, trustor, or named beneficiary of the trust is not an individual, such as a corporation or charity. The annuitant must have a bona fide relationship to the trust and is used to determine eligibility for and payment of benefits.
Transamerica's Customer Service Center can be reached by phone at 1-800-523-7900 and fax at 1-972-881-4527 for questions throughout the claims process.
Sources
- transamerica.com
- cdn.bfldr.com
- ani.transamerica.com
- insuranceservicenow.transamerica.com
- myta.transamerica.com
- aegon.com
Data sourced from Transamerica primary sources (34 pages reviewed). How we research.
Transamerica death claims support
Customer Service Center
Phone
Toll-free
Life insurance policy questions
Life insurance policy questions (outside the U.S.)
Life insurance website technical support
Fax
Hours
Mailing address
Website
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