What to do when a UFCU account holder dies
Contact UFCU — 5-step process, 7 required documents, and ufcu may keep paying member-authorized drafts and transfer orders for 10 days after it is notified of the death unless a claimant instructs it to stop. on a joint account, services are suspended 150 days after actual notice of the primary account holder's death. estate accounts requiring probate follow the texas probate court's timeline.
UFCU, PO Box 9350, Austin, TX 78766-9350
UFCU, PO Box 9350, Austin, TX 78766-9350
Member Services (Survivorship)
University Federal Credit Union, PO Box 9350, Austin, TX 78766-9350
The Member Services (Survivorship) at UFCU 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.
UFCU 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
Follow these steps to file a death claim with UFCU:
Filing a claim
- Contact UFCU Member Services at (512) 467-8080 or toll-free (800) 252-8311
- Or visit any UFCU branch location to notify them in person
- UFCU will place restrictions on the deceased member's account(s) to secure funds until rightful owners can claim them
- The Membership Agreement ("Death or Incompetence of Account Owner") requires satisfactory evidence such as a certified death certificate or court order - UFCU keeps honoring transfer orders, withdrawals, and deposits until it receives that evidence
- Once notified, UFCU may still pay drafts and honor payments or transfer orders the member authorized for TEN (10) DAYS after that date, unless a person claiming an interest in the account instructs UFCU to stop payment - if outstanding checks or autopay should not clear, give that stop instruction in writing immediately
- POD accounts: UFCU pays the named living POD beneficiary per the Account Card instructions; proceeds are split EQUALLY among surviving beneficiaries
- Joint accounts with right of survivorship: the balance belongs to the surviving owner(s); note that on the death of the PRIMARY account holder, UFCU suspends services on that account 150 days after actual notice of death (federal reporting), so the survivor should open a new account in their own name and move the funds
- Multiple party account WITHOUT right of survivorship: surviving owners must give UFCU a court order or similar document acceptable to UFCU stating the proper disposition of funds
- No POD and no joint owner: UFCU may require Letters Testamentary or Letters of Independent Administration; where there is no beneficiary designation, no probate proceeding, and no estate, the agreement lets UFCU (but does not require it to) pay the funds to any heir, who is then solely responsible for further distribution - otherwise UFCU may hold the funds until a court order is presented
- The Membership Agreement lets UFCU require anyone claiming the deceased owner's funds to INDEMNIFY UFCU against losses from honoring the claim, and to produce documentary evidence satisfactory to UFCU before it releases anything
- Any payment on death is subject to UFCU's statutory lien, consensual lien, and right of set-off - outstanding UFCU loans (including a deceased owner's pledge a survivor never consented to) are satisfied from the balances first
- UFCU requires ORIGINAL Letters Testamentary or Letters of Independent Administration, an ORIGINAL death certificate, a valid EIN, and valid photo ID for every administrator, executor, or co-executor being added
- Use the Trust & Estate Account Opening Checklist & Form at https://www.ufcu.org/docs/default-source/pdf-forms/trust-estate-account-opening-checklist-form.pdf and return it to your nearest branch
Required Documents
- Certified death certificate or court order - the Membership Agreement calls this the "satisfactory evidence" that stops UFCU from continuing to honor the member's transactions
- Government-issued photo ID for claimant (unexpired); for an estate account, valid photo ID for EVERY administrator, executor, or co-executor being added
- To open an estate account: ORIGINAL Letters Testamentary or ORIGINAL Letters of Independent Administration (Texas independent administration), plus an ORIGINAL death certificate and a valid EIN
- Court order or similar document acceptable to UFCU, if the account is a multiple party account WITHOUT right of survivorship
- Notarized UFCU Certificate of Trust Form, if the account is trust-titled or a trust is the beneficiary
- Texas small estate affidavit, if the estate qualifies under Chapter 205 of the Texas Estates Code and no administration is pending
- An indemnification UFCU may require from anyone claiming the deceased owner's funds
What to know at this institution
The controlling clause is "Death or Incompetence of Account Owner" in the UFCU Personal Membership Agreements and Disclosures (rev. 10-2023). Two provisions drive the timeline: UFCU may honor payments the member authorized for TEN days after notice of death unless a person claiming an interest orders a stop, and on a joint account it SUSPENDS services 150 days after actual notice of the primary owner's death for federal reporting - so a surviving joint owner should move the funds into a new account in their own name rather than keep using the old one. UFCU may also require a claimant to indemnify it, and every death payout is subject to UFCU's lien and right of set-off against the decedent's loans. UFCU publishes a Survivorship Checklist (PDF) at https://www.ufcu.org/resources/tools/survivorship, which points Texas survivors to the Texas DSHS Vital Statistics office at (512) 972-4784 for certified death certificates and recommends obtaining seven certified copies. Texas is a community property state, so a surviving spouse's community half of a deposit account is not part of the decedent's probate estate even where no POD beneficiary was named.
Prepare your letter of instruction to UFCU
UFCU accepts a claimant-drafted letter of instruction. We draft it for you — addressed to UFCU's verified claims department, with the documents it requires enclosed.
Build your letter of instructionProcessing timelines at UFCU: UFCU may keep paying member-authorized drafts and transfer orders for 10 days after it is notified of the death unless a claimant instructs it to stop. On a joint account, services are suspended 150 days after actual notice of the primary account holder's death. Estate accounts requiring probate follow the Texas probate court's timeline. 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 UFCU includes Certified death certificate or court order - the Membership Agreement calls this the "satisfactory evidence" that stops UFCU from continuing to honor the member's transactions, Government-issued photo ID for claimant (unexpired); for an estate account, valid photo ID for EVERY administrator, executor, or co-executor being added, and To open an estate account: ORIGINAL Letters Testamentary or ORIGINAL Letters of Independent Administration (Texas independent administration), plus an ORIGINAL death certificate and a valid EIN, along with additional paperwork that varies by account type. All death certificates and court documents must be certified copies.
Frequently asked questions
No. The UFCU Membership Agreement states that sums payable to more than one surviving POD beneficiary are distributed equally to each beneficiary, and that no beneficiary is entitled to another beneficiary's interest if that beneficiary dies first. There is no custom-percentage or per-stirpes election on UFCU deposit accounts. If you need unequal shares, or want a deceased beneficiary's share to pass to their children, retitle the account into a Texas revocable trust instead and let the trust control the split. IRAs are separate: they are governed by their own agreement and their own IRA beneficiary designation form, and a POD on a deposit account does not carry over to them.
The Membership Agreement states that to preserve federal reporting requirements, services on a joint account are suspended 150 days after UFCU receives actual notice of the primary account holder's death. The balance still belongs to the surviving joint owner by right of survivorship, but that owner should not plan on keeping the old account running indefinitely. The agreement notes a joint account holder may open a separate account and transfer eligible funds if they still qualify for membership. Move direct deposits and autopay to the new account before the 150-day mark.
Under the "Death or Incompetence of Account Owner" clause, UFCU keeps honoring transfer orders, withdrawals, and deposits until it is notified of the death and given satisfactory evidence such as a certified death certificate or court order. Even after that notice, UFCU may continue to pay drafts and honor payments or transfer orders the member authorized for ten days, unless a person claiming an interest in the account instructs it to stop payment. If a mortgage payment, subscription, or check should not clear, give that stop instruction in writing when you report the death. UFCU can also require anyone claiming the funds to indemnify it, and every payout is subject to its lien and right of set-off against the member's outstanding UFCU loans.
UFCU requires original Letters Testamentary or original Letters of Independent Administration (Texas's independent administration is the common route), an original death certificate, a valid EIN for the estate, and valid photo identification for every administrator, executor, or co-executor added to the account. Note the word "original" - UFCU's own checklist asks for originals, not photocopies, so order extra certified sets from the court. UFCU does not act as executor or trustee. It publishes a Survivorship Checklist at https://www.ufcu.org/resources/tools/survivorship and offers members a discount on Trust & Will estate planning at https://www.ufcu.org/resources/member-services/rewards-benefits/estate-planning.
UFCU's Member Services (Survivorship) can be reached by phone at 1-800-252-8311 and fax at (512) 421-7450 for questions throughout the claims process.
Multiple UFCU accounts may mean multiple claims. Some account types can be processed together, but others require their own documentation. Check with the Member Services (Survivorship) to confirm what applies.
Sources
Data sourced from UFCU primary sources (18 pages reviewed). How we research.
UFCU, PO Box 9350, Austin, TX 78766-9350
UFCU, PO Box 9350, Austin, TX 78766-9350
Member Services (Survivorship)
University Federal Credit Union, PO Box 9350, Austin, TX 78766-9350
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