What to do when a Peak CU account holder dies
Contact Peak CU — 7-step process, 7 required documents, and 5-10 business days after all documentation is received, though complex estates may take longer
Brand change
TwinStar Credit Union and Northwest Community Credit Union now operate as Peak Credit Union. The rebrand took effect September 15, 2025. Accounts, routing number 325181015, and member records carried over; the Membership and Account Agreement is now published under the Peak name (D008 rev. 10.10.2025). Effective September 2025.
The procedures below reflect Peak CU's accounts. Account servicing may transfer as the change takes effect.
Peak Credit Union Member Services
Peak Credit Union, PO Box 718, Olympia, WA 98507-0718
Peak Credit Union Member Services
Peak Credit Union, PO Box 718, Olympia, WA 98507-0718
Peak Credit Union Member Services
Peak Credit Union, PO Box 718, Olympia, WA 98507-0718
The Peak Credit Union Member Services at Peak CU coordinates account transitions after a member's death. How each account is handled depends on its setup: POD and trust accounts transfer automatically, while solely-owned accounts typically require court authorization through Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
The first step is contacting Peak CU at 1-800-258-3115 with the account holder's full name, account numbers, and a certified death certificate in hand.
Deposit, investment & retirement accounts
Follow these steps to file a death claim with Peak CU:
Filing a claim
- Once Peak learns of a member's death, it may still pay checks or honor other payments or transfer orders the deceased member authorized, for a period of ten (10) days
- That 10-day window stops only if Peak receives instructions from a person claiming an interest in the account to stop payment on those items -- ask for a stop payment when you give notice if outstanding checks should not clear
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- Valid government-issued photo ID for the claimant
- POD accounts (Section I.5): funds pass to the surviving POD beneficiaries, who take jointly with rights of survivorship. Peak has no duty to notify a beneficiary that an account exists
- Joint accounts (Section I.4.b): the deceased owner's interest becomes the property of the surviving joint owner(s)
- Individual accounts with no POD (Section I.3): the interest passes to the decedent's estate -- provide Letters Testamentary, Letters of Administration, or a state Small Estate Affidavit with the personal representative's ID
- IRAs and Education Savings Accounts: a POD designation does not apply to these; they pass under their own separate IRA/ESA beneficiary designation
Required Documents
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- Valid government-issued photo ID for the claimant (beneficiary, executor, or administrator)
- Account information for the deceased (account numbers if available)
- For accounts without beneficiary: Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration from the court
- For small estates: Small Estate Affidavit as permitted under applicable state law (Washington: RCW 11.62; Oregon: ORS 114.515)
- For trust accounts: trust documentation including successor trustee provisions and trustee ID
- For IRA accounts: IRA beneficiary claim forms and applicable distribution election forms
What to know at this institution
Peak's Membership and Account Agreement (D008 rev. 10.10.2025, https://www.peakcu.org/hubfs/disclosures/Membership-Account-Agreement.pdf) governs what happens at death. Section I.23 gives Peak a ten-day window after it learns of the death during which it may still pay checks and honor transfer orders the member authorized, unless a claimant instructs it to stop payment; it also lets Peak require an indemnity from anyone claiming the funds. Section I.2 warns that a joint-survivorship or POD designation may be invalidated when Peak receives notice of a marriage dissolution or a testamentary disposition, as applicable law requires. Section I.26 states Peak does not give legal advice on which account arrangement fits a member's trust, will, or court order, and may require a bond or indemnification before following instructions it believes could expose it to claims. The agreement is governed by Washington law (Section I.27); Washington is a community property state, which can affect the disposition of accounts funded with community property. Deposits are insured up to $500,000: $250,000 through NCUA and $250,000 through Excess Share Insurance.
Mortgage and home lending
Mortgages and home equity loans are liabilities, not assets. They do not have beneficiaries and cannot be retitled to a trust. When a borrower dies, the loan obligation transfers with the property to whoever inherits it. Under the federal Garn-St. Germain Act, the lender cannot accelerate the loan or call it due when the property transfers to a surviving spouse, child, or the borrower’s revocable trust.
- Deceased borrower's full legal name, Social Security number, and loan number
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- Continue making payments on the existing loan
- Apply for loss mitigation
- Assume the loan
- Refinance in your own name
- Pay off the remaining balance
Required Documents
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- Government-issued photo ID for the heir or personal representative
- Completed Successor in Interest form (obtained from mortgage servicing department)
- Documentation proving ownership interest in the property: probated will, court order, recorded deed, or trust document showing you as successor trustee or beneficiary
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (if going through probate)
- Marriage certificate (if surviving spouse)
What to know at this institution
Under the federal Garn-St. Germain Depository Institutions Act (12 U.S.C. § 1701j-3), Peak Credit Union cannot enforce a due-on-sale clause when the property transfers to a surviving spouse, child, relative upon death, or the borrower's revocable living trust. Confirmed Successors in Interest are treated as borrowers under CFPB mortgage servicing rules.
Prepare your letter of instruction to Peak CU
Peak CU accepts a claimant-drafted letter of instruction. We draft it for you — addressed to Peak CU's verified claims department, with the documents it requires enclosed.
Build your letter of instructionProcessing timelines at Peak CU: 5-10 business days after all documentation is received, though complex estates may take longer. Incomplete documentation is the most common cause of delays—submitting all required documents with the initial claim helps avoid additional processing time.
Documentation required by Peak CU includes Certified copy of the death certificate, Valid government-issued photo ID for the claimant (beneficiary, executor, or administrator), and Account information for the deceased (account numbers if available), along with additional paperwork that varies by account type. All death certificates and court documents must be certified copies.
Frequently asked questions
TwinStar Credit Union, which had merged with Northwest Community Credit Union, rebranded as Peak Credit Union on September 15, 2025. It is the same credit union under a new name -- accounts, member numbers, and routing number 325181015 carried over. Estate claims on a TwinStar account are handled by Peak at PO Box 718, Olympia, WA 98507-0718 or (800) 258-3115, and are governed by the current Peak Membership and Account Agreement (D008 rev. 10.10.2025). An estate settlement letter or death certificate naming "TwinStar Credit Union" is still accepted; give the branch or representative the member's name, Social Security number, and any known account numbers.
Under Section I.23 of Peak's Membership and Account Agreement, Peak may continue to honor transactions until it learns of the member's death, and even after it learns of the death it may pay checks and honor other payments or transfer orders the member authorized for a period of ten (10) days. That ten-day window stops only if a person claiming an interest in the account instructs Peak to stop payment on those items. If outstanding checks or automatic payments should not clear, ask for a stop payment at the same time you give notice of the death. Section I.23 also allows Peak to require anyone who claims funds after the member's death to indemnify the credit union against losses from honoring the claim.
No. Section I.23 of Peak's Membership and Account Agreement states that you irrevocably waive the right to make a testamentary disposition of any account with the credit union, and that on your death the account is payable according to the account designations on file. A will cannot redirect a Peak account away from the named POD beneficiary or the surviving joint owner. Section I.5 also notes that a POD designation does not reach IRAs or Education Savings Accounts, which are governed by their own separate beneficiary designation, and that Peak has no obligation to notify a beneficiary that an account exists. Section I.2 warns that a POD or joint-survivorship designation may be invalidated once Peak receives notice of a marriage dissolution, so designations should be re-confirmed after a divorce.
Under the federal Garn-St. Germain Act (12 U.S.C. 1701j-3), Peak Credit Union cannot enforce a due-on-sale clause when the property transfers to a surviving spouse, child, relative upon death, or the borrower's revocable living trust. Heirs must complete a Successor in Interest form, submit a certified death certificate, and provide documentation of their ownership interest (probated will, court order, deed, or trust document). Confirmation typically takes 30-45 days. Continue making monthly payments during the review process. For a HELOC, the draw period ends at the borrower's death and no additional draws can be made.
Yes. Under RCW 11.62, Washington allows a Small Estate Affidavit for estates of personal property valued under $100,000 (excluding the surviving spouse's community property interest). Provide the completed affidavit, a certified death certificate, and valid government-issued ID at any Peak branch to claim funds without opening a probate estate. The affidavit can only be presented at least 40 days after the date of death. Oregon residents may use the Small Estate Affidavit procedure under ORS 114.515.
Peak CU's Peak Credit Union Member Services can be reached by phone at 1-800-258-3115 for questions throughout the claims process.
Multiple Peak CU accounts may mean multiple claims. Some account types can be processed together, but others require their own documentation. Check with the Peak Credit Union Member Services to confirm what applies.
Sources
Data sourced from Peak CU primary sources (19 pages reviewed). How we research.
Peak Credit Union Member Services
Peak Credit Union, PO Box 718, Olympia, WA 98507-0718
Peak Credit Union Member Services
Peak Credit Union, PO Box 718, Olympia, WA 98507-0718
Peak Credit Union Member Services
Peak Credit Union, PO Box 718, Olympia, WA 98507-0718
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