What to do when a USAA account holder dies
Contact USAA's USAA Survivor Relations (all product lines) — 4-step process, 8 required documents, and varies by account type and documentation completeness; typically 2-4 weeks after all documents received
USAA Federal Savings Bank, 10750 McDermott Freeway, San Antonio, TX 78288-0544
USAA Survivor Relations (all product lines)
Bank Survivor Relations Team
USAA Federal Savings Bank, 10750 McDermott Freeway, San Antonio, TX 78288-0544
After an account holder at USAA 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 USAA's Bank Survivor Relations Team at 1-855-204-0378 with the proper legal authority documents.
Before contacting USAA, have the account holder's full name, date of birth, and any available account numbers ready. A certified death certificate is required to initiate the claim.
Deposit, investment & retirement accounts
Here is the step-by-step death claim process at USAA:
Filing a claim
- Online: visit https://www.usaa.com/my/survivorship to report the death and access the survivorship dashboard
- By phone: call USAA at 1-800-531-8722 (1-800-531-USAA) for initial death notification across all USAA products
- Provide the deceased member's USAA number or Social Security number
- USAA will freeze or close the deceased member's accounts to prevent further transactions; deceased member's online access is disabled
- Call the Bank Survivor Relations Team at 1-855-204-0378 (Monday-Friday 7:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m. CT, TTY:711)
- Complete the Letter of Instruction (LOI) form provided by USAA
- Submit a certified copy of the death certificate by mail or fax
- POD/beneficiary claims: the LOI FAQ states a beneficiary needs only a copy of the death certificate, and is entitled to the available balance once it is provided
- Executors/administrators: attach unexpired Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration with official seals visible; each executor files their own LOI (co-executors may send one LOI signed by both)
- Successor trustees: the LOI has a dedicated Successor Trustee election for trust-styled accounts; if the account is NOT trust-styled, USAA requires a court order directing that funds be paid to the trust
- USAA does NOT accept an Affidavit of Heirship. A notarized Affidavit of Collection of Personal Property or state small estate affidavit may be accepted -- call Bank Survivor Relations at 1-855-204-0378 to confirm an alternate document before filing
- Option 1 -- internal transfer into a USAA Bank checking or savings account in your name. Not available for CDs, Texas Uniform Transfer to Minor (TUTMA) accounts, or Youth accounts with no surviving adult holder
- Option 2 -- a check. USAA does not wire or transfer funds to an external bank
- The check is mailed ONLY to the address on the claimant's USAA member profile; USAA will not mail it to an alternate address. Update your profile address by calling 1-855-204-0378 before submitting the LOI
- If you are not a USAA member, call 1-855-204-0378 first to establish a relationship to the decedent, or the LOI will be delayed
Required Documents
- Copy of the death certificate
- Completed USAA Letter of Instruction (LOI) form, form number 502639-0725 (one per executor/trustee)
- Deceased member's USAA number or Social Security number (or write "All USAA Bank accounts" if account numbers are unknown)
- Unexpired Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration with visible official seals (if probate was opened)
- Trust document / Certification of Trust (successor trustee on a trust-styled account)
- Court order directing payment to the trust (if the account is not trust-styled but funds are to be paid to a trust)
- Notarized Affidavit of Collection of Personal Property or state small estate affidavit (if used in place of Letters). An Affidavit of Heirship is NOT accepted
- Executor's written authorization to release information to an attorney (if a law firm is acting for the estate)
Claims Contact
What to know at this institution
Scope: the USAA Letter of Instruction (form 502639-0725, rev. 07/2025) covers USAA Bank checking, savings, and non-IRA Certificates of Deposit only. IRA CDs pass by beneficiary designation and are handled separately from the LOI. Life insurance and annuities are issued by USAA Life Insurance Company, a separate affiliate with its own claims process; brokerage and managed portfolio accounts were sold to Charles Schwab in 2020 and are claimed through Schwab, not USAA. Account agreement ("Death or Incompetence," Depository Agreement and Disclosures, eff. July 1, 2025): USAA may continue to honor checks, items, and instructions and accept deposits until it has actual notice of the death and a reasonable time to act on it. On notice it may place a hold, refuse deposits and withdrawals, and retain funds until it knows the identity of the successor. USAA may debit the account and return to the payor any deposit -- including salary, pension, VA benefits, Social Security, and SSI -- credited after the date of death; the LOI FAQ confirms USAA Bank is legally obligated to return these government overpayments to the agency. Military-specific: if the account owner or an Authorized Signer resided outside the United States at the time of death, USAA reserves the right to require United States court documents or a U.S. court appointment of an estate representative. Contacts: 1-800-531-8722 (1-800-531-USAA) for initial death notification across all USAA product lines; the Bank Survivor Relations Team at 1-855-204-0378 (Monday-Friday 7:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m. CT, TTY:711/TRS) handles banking claims and is the only contact printed on the LOI form; Survivor Relations at 1-800-292-8294 for general survivor support. Documents may be faxed to 1-800-292-8177. The LOI form itself lists only usaa.com and 1-855-204-0378 as return channels -- call Bank Survivor Relations to confirm where to send the completed form and death certificate.
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.
- Call USAA Mortgage servicing at 1-855-430-8489
- Provide the deceased borrower's full legal name, Social Security number, and loan number
- Submit a certified copy of the death certificate by mail to PO Box 610788, Dallas, TX 75261
- Provide documentation to establish your status as a Successor in Interest or Executor of the Estate
- Acceptable documentation includes: evidence of family relationship (marriage certificate, birth certificate), will or last testament, probate proceeding order signed by a judge, court pleadings/orders (Letters Testamentary, Letters of Administration), or recorded Life Estate Deed / Transfer on Death Deed
- USAA must confirm your Successor in Interest or Executor status before releasing loan information
- Once confirmed, you will have access to loan information and can discuss options: continue making payments, apply for loss mitigation, assume the loan, refinance, or pay off the balance
- Continue making monthly mortgage payments during the review process to avoid default
Required Documents
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- Government-issued photo ID for the heir or personal representative
- Evidence of family relationship (marriage certificate, birth certificate)
- Will or Last Testament (if available)
- Probate Proceeding Order signed by the judge (if probate case was opened)
- Court Pleadings/Orders: Letters Testamentary, Letters of Personal Representative, Letters of Administration (filed by court or signed by judge)
- Recorded Life Estate Deed, Lady Bird Deed, or Transfer Upon Death Deed (if applicable)
- Loan number and borrower information
Claims Contact
Phone: 1-855-430-8489
PO Box 610788, Dallas, TX 75261
What to know at this institution
Under the federal Garn-St. Germain Depository Institutions Act (12 U.S.C. §1701j-3), USAA 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. Mortgage servicing is provided by Nationstar Mortgage LLC (Mr. Cooper) as a subservicer for USAA. For transferring ownership to a trust or spouse/children, see homeusaa.com/help-center/account-help/transferring-ownership. For initial death notification across all USAA products: 1-800-531-8722. Bank Survivor Relations: 1-855-204-0378.
Prepare your letter of instruction to USAA
USAA 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 instructionOpening an account for the estate itself
Checks made out to the estate deposit into an account titled to the estate, opened by the appointed executor or administrator under the estate's EIN.
How to open an estate account at USAA →Expected timelines at USAA: Varies by account type and documentation completeness; typically 2-4 weeks after all documents received. Delays are almost always caused by incomplete paperwork—gathering all required documents before filing the initial claim helps avoid back-and-forth.
USAA requires several documents to process a claim, including Copy of the death certificate, Completed USAA Letter of Instruction (LOI) form, form number 502639-0725 (one per executor/trustee), and Deceased member's USAA number or Social Security number (or write "All USAA Bank accounts" if account numbers are unknown), 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
No. The USAA Letter of Instruction (form 502639-0725) states expressly that an Affidavit of Heirship is not a supported document. USAA may accept a notarized Affidavit of Collection of Personal Property, an Affidavit in Lieu of Administration, or your state's small estate affidavit instead, but it asks that you call the Bank Survivor Relations Team at 1-855-204-0378 to confirm an alternate document before you file. Executors relying on court appointment must send unexpired Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration with the official seals visible.
USAA disburses only two ways, both set on the Letter of Instruction. It can transfer funds internally into a USAA Bank checking or savings account in your name -- not available for CDs, Texas Uniform Transfer to Minor (TUTMA) accounts, or Youth accounts with no surviving adult holder -- or it can issue a check. USAA does not wire or transfer estate funds to an outside bank, and the check is mailed only to the address on your own USAA member profile, never to an alternate address. If you are not a USAA member, or your profile address is out of date, call 1-855-204-0378 before you submit the form or the claim will be delayed.
Yes. Under the "Death or Incompetence" clause of the USAA Federal Savings Bank Depository Agreement, if a deposit payable to the deceased account owner -- including salary, pension, VA benefits, Social Security, or Supplemental Security Income -- is credited after the date of death, USAA may debit the account and return it to the payor. The Letter of Instruction confirms USAA Bank is legally obligated to return these government overpayments to the agency, so plan on the final balance being lower than the statement shows. USAA also warns that if the member was living outside the United States at death, it can require United States court documents appointing an estate representative.
USAA's Bank Survivor Relations Team can be reached by phone at 1-855-204-0378 and fax at 1-800-292-8177 for questions throughout the claims process.
Multiple USAA accounts may mean multiple claims. Some account types can be processed together, but others require their own documentation. Check with the Bank Survivor Relations Team to confirm what applies.
Sources
Data sourced from USAA primary sources (16 pages reviewed). How we research.
USAA Federal Savings Bank, 10750 McDermott Freeway, San Antonio, TX 78288-0544
USAA Survivor Relations (all product lines)
Bank Survivor Relations Team
USAA Federal Savings Bank, 10750 McDermott Freeway, San Antonio, TX 78288-0544
Estate planning articles
Learn how to protect your USAA accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
Is this your situation?
Get a complete guide for your specific circumstances.
More tools for handling this estate
Calculators and checklists for executors and trustees.
How Much Does Probate Cost?
Estimate attorney fees, executor fees, court costs, and timeline for probating an estate in your state. See if the estate qualifies for simplified probate procedures.
How Much Can an Executor Charge?
Calculate how much an executor (personal representative) can charge for administering an estate. See if your state has statutory fees or uses reasonable compensation.
Who Inherits Without a Will?
Find out who inherits your estate and how much they get if you die without a will. Based on your state's intestate succession laws.
What's Fair Trustee Compensation?
Find out what's fair compensation for serving as trustee. Compare family, professional, and corporate trustee rates based on your situation.
How Much Are Estate & Inheritance Taxes?
Calculate federal estate tax, state estate tax (12 states + DC), and inheritance tax (5 states) for an estate or trust.
How Many Death Certificates Do I Need?
Calculate how many certified death certificates you need based on the assets and accounts you need to close. See state-specific ordering information.
