What to do when a Ubiquity account holder dies
Contact Ubiquity — 5-step process, 6 required documents, and varies based on completeness of documentation and distribution election; add time when the plan sponsor must sign off. contact ubiquity for current processing times.
Customer Success Team
Customer Success Team
Customer Success Team (no dedicated claims department; Single(k) claims route to singlek@myubiquity.com or to the plan's outside custodian)
After an account holder at Ubiquity dies, accounts with beneficiary designations or trust ownership transfer to the designated recipients without probate. Solely-owned accounts require the estate's representative to contact Ubiquity's Customer Success Team (no dedicated claims department; Single(k) claims route to singlek@myubiquity.com or to the plan's outside custodian) at 1-855-401-4357 with the proper legal authority documents.
Ubiquity 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.
Death claim process
To file a claim after an account holder's death, here is what Ubiquity requires:
Filing a claim
- Recordkept business 401(k) plans (Saver(k), Custom(k), Reserve(k)): Ubiquity holds the beneficiary record — start with the Customer Success Team at (855) 401-4357
- Single(k) solo 401(k) plans with assets at an outside custodian: Ubiquity states it does not retain the beneficiary form and "cannot assist beneficiaries in requesting distributions" for those plans — the claim is filed with the custodian that holds the account (https://help.myubiquity.com/articles/how-do-i-designate-a-beneficiary-for-my-single-k-plan)
- For a Single(k), look for the decedent's signed beneficiary form in their own plan records and for the custodian named on their account statements; Single(k) questions go to singlek@myubiquity.com
- Contact Ubiquity's Customer Success Team at (855) 401-4357 or support@myubiquity.com
- Provide the deceased participant's name, date of death, and Social Security number
- The plan sponsor (the decedent's employer) is the plan administrator and should also notify Ubiquity — a death benefit cannot be processed without the sponsor in the loop
- Ubiquity is online-only; there is no branch to visit and no walk-in claims counter
- Provide a certified copy of the death certificate
- Provide government-issued ID for the beneficiary or estate representative, plus proof of your relationship to the deceased
- If a trust is the beneficiary, provide the trust document (or Certification of Trust) and trustee identification — Ubiquity requires a copy of the trust document on file with the plan administrator
- If the estate is the beneficiary (or no valid designation exists), provide Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration
- Surviving spouse beneficiaries may roll over the account to their own IRA or employer plan
- Non-spouse designated beneficiaries must distribute the account within 10 years under the SECURE Act
- Eligible designated beneficiaries (minor children, disabled individuals, chronically ill individuals, or individuals within 10 years of age of the deceased) may take distributions over their life expectancy
- A lump sum distribution is available to all beneficiaries
- Complete any required distribution forms provided by Ubiquity
- Distributions from pre-tax accounts are subject to ordinary income tax
- Roth 401(k) distributions to beneficiaries are generally tax-free if the account has been open for at least 5 years
Required Documents
- Certified death certificate
- Government-issued photo ID for beneficiary or estate representative
- Proof of relationship to the deceased
- Beneficiary distribution/claim form (provided by Ubiquity for recordkept plans, or by the custodian for Single(k) plans held elsewhere)
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (if the estate is beneficiary or no valid designation exists)
- Trust document or Certification of Trust and trustee ID (if a trust is beneficiary)
What to know at this institution
Ubiquity is an online-only recordkeeper and third-party administrator, not a bank or custodian — there is no branch to visit. Custody sits with Schwab or Matrix on recordkept plans, and Ubiquity coordinates the beneficiary distribution with the plan sponsor and custodian. The one hard limit to know before you start: for Single(k) solo 401(k) plans whose assets are held at an outside custodian, Ubiquity states it does not retain beneficiary forms and cannot assist beneficiaries in requesting distributions after the participant's death — the claim must be filed with the custodian, using the beneficiary form the participant kept in their own plan records.
Processing timelines at Ubiquity: Varies based on completeness of documentation and distribution election; add time when the plan sponsor must sign off. Contact Ubiquity for current processing times. 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 Ubiquity includes Certified death certificate, Government-issued photo ID for beneficiary or estate representative, and Proof of relationship to the deceased, along with additional paperwork that varies by account type. All death certificates and court documents must be certified copies.
Frequently asked questions
No, and this is the single most important thing for a Single(k) owner's estate plan. Ubiquity's help center states plainly that it does not retain beneficiary forms for Single(k) plans, and that because it does not maintain those records it cannot assist beneficiaries in requesting distributions after the participant passes away when the plan's assets are held at an outside custodian. If your Single(k) assets sit at a custodian, the beneficiary designation must be made with that custodian on its own form. If the custodian does not offer one, you complete Ubiquity's beneficiary form and store it yourself with your plan records. Tell your executor exactly where that signed form is kept and which custodian holds the account, or the account can end up defaulting to your estate and passing through probate.
No. A 401(k) is an employer-sponsored plan account held in trust for you under the plan; it cannot be retitled into your revocable living trust during your lifetime, and attempting to move it out would be a taxable distribution. The only way a trust reaches these assets is as the named beneficiary. Ubiquity notes the tradeoff: a trust beneficiary is generally treated as a non-spouse beneficiary, so the account typically must be emptied within ten years of death, which can compress the income tax. Many families instead name the spouse as primary beneficiary, who can roll the balance into their own IRA, and use the trust only as a contingent beneficiary.
All three can be involved, which is why the first call matters. Ubiquity is the recordkeeper and third-party administrator; it is online-only with no branches. Custody of recordkept plan assets sits with Schwab or Matrix. Your employer is the plan sponsor and plan administrator, and a death benefit generally cannot be released without the sponsor confirming the participant's status. Have your beneficiaries call the Customer Success Team at (855) 401-4357 (Monday through Friday, 6am to 5pm PT) or email support@myubiquity.com with the participant's name, date of death, and employer, and ask Ubiquity to confirm whether the plan is recordkept by Ubiquity or held at an outside custodian. If it is a Single(k) at an outside custodian, Ubiquity cannot process the claim and the custodian must.
Ubiquity's Customer Success Team (no dedicated claims department; Single(k) claims route to singlek@myubiquity.com or to the plan's outside custodian) can be reached by phone at 1-855-401-4357 and email at support@myubiquity.com for questions throughout the claims process.
Multiple Ubiquity retirement accounts may mean multiple claims. Some account types can be processed together, but others require their own documentation. Check with the Customer Success Team (no dedicated claims department; Single(k) claims route to singlek@myubiquity.com or to the plan's outside custodian) to confirm what applies.
Sources
Data sourced from Ubiquity primary sources (14 pages reviewed). How we research.
Customer Success Team
Customer Success Team
Customer Success Team (no dedicated claims department; Single(k) claims route to singlek@myubiquity.com or to the plan's outside custodian)
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