What to do when a USAA account holder dies
Contact USAA — 3-step process, 7 required documents, and varies by account type and documentation completeness; typically 2-4 weeks after all documents received
Phone1-800-531-8722
Mailing Address
USAA Federal Savings Bank, 10750 McDermott Freeway, San Antonio, TX 78288
WebsiteLearn more→
Phone1-800-531-8722
Mailing Address
USAA Federal Savings Bank, 10750 McDermott Freeway, San Antonio, TX 78288
WebsiteLearn more→
Bank Survivor Relations Team
Phone1-855-204-0378
Toll-Free1-855-204-0378
Fax1-800-292-8177
Mailing Address
USAA Federal Savings Bank, 10750 McDermott Freeway, San Antonio, TX 78288
Verified May 2026
After a USAA account holder 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.
Begin by calling USAA at 1-855-204-0378. You will need the deceased's full name, account numbers, and a certified death certificate to get the process started.
Deposit, investment & retirement accounts
Here is the step-by-step death claim process at USAA:
Filing a claim
1
Report the death to USAA (online or by phone)
- 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
2
Contact the Bank Survivor Relations Team for banking claims
- 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
3
Submit claim-specific documentation
- For POD/beneficiary claims: each designated beneficiary must submit their own LOI and supporting documents
- For trust beneficiaries: provide trust documents and Certification of Trust
- USAA reviews documentation and distributes assets per beneficiary designations or estate documents
Required Documents
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- Government-issued ID for the claimant
- Completed USAA Letter of Instruction (LOI) form
- Deceased member's USAA number or Social Security number
- Trust documents and Certification of Trust (if trust is beneficiary)
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (if probate required)
- Small Estate Affidavit (if applicable under state law)
Call 1-800-531-8722 (1-800-531-USAA) for initial death notification across all USAA products. Bank Survivor Relations Team at 1-855-204-0378 (Monday-Friday 7:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m. CT, TTY:711) handles banking-specific claims. Survivor Relations at 1-800-292-8294 provides general survivor support across all USAA product lines. Death certificates and LOI forms may be submitted by mail or fax to 1-800-292-8177. No online death notification portal is currently available.
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.
1
Contact USAA Mortgage servicing to report the death
- Call USAA Mortgage servicing at 1-855-430-8489
- Provide the deceased borrower's full legal name, Social Security number, and loan number
2
Submit required documentation by mail
- 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
3
Await status confirmation and discuss loan options
- 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
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.
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 Certified copy of the death certificate, Government-issued ID for the claimant, and Completed USAA Letter of Instruction (LOI) form, 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
USAA has dedicated survivor support teams for military families dealing with the loss of a loved one. Call 1-800-531-8722 (1-800-531-USAA) for initial death notification across all products. The Bank Survivor Relations Team at 1-855-204-0378 (Monday-Friday 7:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m. CT) handles banking-specific claims. General Survivor Relations at 1-800-292-8294 provides additional support across all USAA product lines.
USAA accepts online death notifications through its survivorship dashboard at usaa.com/my/survivorship. After reporting, USAA disables the deceased member's online access to prevent fraud and routes you to the Bank Survivor Relations Team at 1-855-204-0378 for banking-specific claims. The Letter of Instruction form and certified death certificate must still be submitted by mail or fax to 1-800-292-8177.
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.
Phone1-800-531-8722
Mailing Address
USAA Federal Savings Bank, 10750 McDermott Freeway, San Antonio, TX 78288
WebsiteLearn more→
Phone1-800-531-8722
Mailing Address
USAA Federal Savings Bank, 10750 McDermott Freeway, San Antonio, TX 78288
WebsiteLearn more→
Bank Survivor Relations Team
Phone1-855-204-0378
Toll-Free1-855-204-0378
Fax1-800-292-8177
Mailing Address
USAA Federal Savings Bank, 10750 McDermott Freeway, San Antonio, TX 78288
Verified May 2026
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