What to do when a TruStage account holder dies
Contact TruStage's TruStage Customer Support — 4-step process, 9 required documents, and 3-5 business days after complete claim information is received; longer if the policy was in force two years or less
TruStage Financial Group, Inc., 5910 Mineral Point Road, Madison, WI 53705
TruStage Consumer Claims (Life and AD&D)
TruStage Insurance Company, PO Box 61, Waverly, IA 50677-9202
A death claim on a TruStage policy is filed through the TruStage Consumer Claims (Life and AD&D) (1-800-779-5433). Because insurance proceeds pass directly to named beneficiaries, this process is separate from probate. The required documentation and timeline vary by policy type.
TruStage provides an online portal for initiating death claims, which can simplify the initial notification and document submission process. Claims can also be started by phone or by mailing the required documents.
Death claim process
Here is the step-by-step death claim process at TruStage:
Filing a claim
- TruStage coverage is sold through credit unions, so the policy is often tied to a credit union relationship the family may not know about; check the decedent's credit union statements and mail for a TruStage or CUNA Mutual certificate before assuming there is no coverage
- Life and AD&D coverage is issued by CMFG Life Insurance Company; annuities are issued by either CMFG Life Insurance Company or MEMBERS Life Insurance Company depending on the contract — the issuing company is named on the contract
- Older paperwork may say CUNA Mutual Group rather than TruStage; it is the same company and the claims lines below still handle it
- Notify TruStage of the insured's death by calling the appropriate claims line for the product, or start the claim online at https://consumerclaim.trustage.com
- Anyone may notify TruStage of a death, but only the named beneficiaries on the policy can submit the claim documents and receive payment
- Provide the insured's name, date of birth, date of death, and certificate/policy number(s), plus the beneficiary's address if you are not the named beneficiary
- Submit a finalized certified copy of the death certificate (proof of death)
- If the policy had been in force two years or less at the date of death, TruStage requires additional documentation before paying — expect a contestability review and a longer timeline
- On a Guaranteed Acceptance Whole Life policy within its first two years, a non-accidental death pays only a return of 100% of premiums paid plus 10%, not the face amount
- Complete any claim forms TruStage provides and return them online, by secure email, by fax, or by mail
Required Documents
- Finalized certified copy of the death certificate
- Valid government-issued photo ID for the beneficiary
- Policy or certificate number(s), and the beneficiary's address if the person notifying TruStage is not the beneficiary
- For AD&D claims: documentation of the accidental cause of death — police report and blood alcohol report for a motor vehicle accident, police/accident report or physician statement for a fall, police report and prescription list for an overdose, police report for a homicide
- For estate beneficiaries: probate court letters (Letters Testamentary or of Administration) and the estate Tax ID
- For trust beneficiaries: copy of the trust agreement and the trust Tax ID
- For minor beneficiaries: a statement from an adult family member
- If the policy was in force two years or less at the date of death: additional documentation requested by TruStage for the contestability review
- Completed claim forms as provided by TruStage
Claims Contact
What to know at this institution
Anyone may notify TruStage of a death, but only the named beneficiaries noted in the policy can submit the documents and receive the payment — an executor who is not the beneficiary can report the death but cannot collect. Claims routing depends on the product: life insurance 1-800-779-5433 (ConsumerClaims@trustage.com, fax 1-608-236-8030); AD&D 1-800-779-5433 Ext. 483-2339 (Claimsinfo@trustage.com); annuities 1-800-799-5433 Ext. 483-1999, status 1-800-798-6600 Ext. 483-1830 (DS-AnnuityClaims@trustage.com); Final Expense 1-800-621-7162; Funeral Preplanning 1-800-533-2220 (psdocuments@trustage.com, fax 605-719-0601); credit insurance / debt protection on a credit union loan 1-800-621-6323 (members.claims@trustage.com), filed at lendingclaim.trustage.com. Life and AD&D documents upload at consumerclaim.trustage.com/document-upload. TTY users dial 711. Policies in force two years or less require additional documentation. Settlement options vary based on policy terms, death benefit value, and the beneficiary's age and life expectancy. TruStage auto and home policies carry no death benefit; call the Auto & Home program at 1-855-483-2149 to reach the underwriting carrier.
Prepare your letter of instruction to TruStage
TruStage 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 TruStage: 3-5 business days after complete claim information is received; longer if the policy was in force two years or less. Delays are almost always caused by incomplete paperwork—gathering all required documents before filing the initial claim helps avoid back-and-forth.
TruStage requires several documents to process a claim, including Finalized certified copy of the death certificate, Valid government-issued photo ID for the beneficiary, and Policy or certificate number(s), and the beneficiary's address if the person notifying TruStage is not the beneficiary, 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
TruStage is the current name of CUNA Mutual Group, so an old CUNA Mutual certificate is still a live TruStage policy and the same claims lines handle it. Because TruStage coverage is sold through credit unions rather than direct, the policy is usually attached to a credit union relationship — check the decedent's credit union statements and mail, since families often do not know a policy exists. Many credit unions also provide no-cost Basic AD&D coverage to members automatically, which pays only if the death was accidental. Report the death at https://consumerclaim.trustage.com or by calling 1-800-779-5433 (Mon-Fri, 7:00 AM - 5:00 PM CST). Anyone can report a death, but only the named beneficiary can submit the claim documents and receive payment.
Only if the death was accidental. TruStage Guaranteed Acceptance Whole Life carries a graded death benefit: an accidental death in the first two years pays the coverage in full, but a death that is not accidental in that window is limited to a return of 100% of premiums paid plus 10%. Death by suicide in the first two years (one year in North Dakota) returns premiums paid without interest. Full benefits apply after two years. Separately, TruStage asks for additional documentation on any policy that was in force two years or less, so expect a contestability review and a longer timeline on a recent policy.
It changes the routing, not the paperwork. Life and AD&D coverage is issued by CMFG Life Insurance Company. Annuities are split: MEMBERS Life Insurance Company issues the ZoneChoice Advantage, ZoneChoice Income, ZoneChoice, and Zone Income annuities, while CMFG Life issues the MaxProtect Fixed Annuity, the Single Premium Immediate Annuity, and the Future Income Annuity. Life and AD&D claims go through the consumer claim portal at consumerclaim.trustage.com or 1-800-779-5433. Annuity death claims go to a different line: 1-800-799-5433 Ext. 483-1999, with status at 1-800-798-6600 Ext. 483-1830 or DS-AnnuityClaims@trustage.com. Credit insurance or debt protection taken out on a credit union loan is filed at lendingclaim.trustage.com (1-800-621-6323), not with the life claims unit.
It depends on the product. An individually owned term or permanent life policy can be assigned to an ILIT — that is the step that moves the death benefit out of your taxable estate. Ask Customer Support at 1-855-591-9026 for the assignment paperwork; ownership changes are not handled on the online beneficiary screen. Group AD&D coverage provided through your credit union and annuity contracts cannot be owned by a trust — for those you can only name the trust as beneficiary. TruStage auto and home policies are not estate transfer vehicles at all: they carry no death benefit and cannot be placed in a trust.
Log in at my.trustage.com, go to Manage My Account, open Beneficiary Details, and select "A Trust" from the beneficiary-type dropdown, entering the trust's exact legal name, the date of the trust, and the trustee. You can also use the Change of Beneficiary Request Form, which lives inside the My Account portal rather than as a public PDF; if you cannot log in, call 1-855-591-9026 and ask for a copy. Two TruStage-specific traps: when you update an existing policy you must relist every beneficiary you want to keep, with percentages, not just the new one — omitted beneficiaries drop off. And a change is effective back to the date you signed it once TruStage approves and records it. At claim time the trustee will have to produce the trust agreement and the trust's Tax ID, so put the EIN on file when you make the designation.
TruStage's TruStage Consumer Claims (Life and AD&D) can be reached by phone at 1-800-779-5433, email at ConsumerClaims@trustage.com, and fax at 1-608-236-8030 for questions throughout the claims process.
Multiple TruStage policies may mean multiple claims. Some account types can be processed together, but others require their own documentation. Check with the TruStage Consumer Claims (Life and AD&D) to confirm what applies.
Sources
Data sourced from TruStage primary sources (15 pages reviewed). How we research.
TruStage Financial Group, Inc., 5910 Mineral Point Road, Madison, WI 53705
TruStage Consumer Claims (Life and AD&D)
TruStage Insurance Company, PO Box 61, Waverly, IA 50677-9202
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