What to do when an USICG account holder dies
Report the death to USI Consulting Group - Service Center at 1-866-305-8846
What happens to USICG retirement accounts after the account holder dies depends on how each account was titled. Beneficiary-designated and trust-owned accounts transfer directly. Accounts in the deceased's name alone go through the estate, and the executor or administrator works with USI Consulting Group - Service Center (1-866-305-8846) to claim the funds.
Claims can be filed by phone (1-866-305-8846) or by emailing documentation to directsolutionsparticipantquestions@usi.com. Before reaching out, gather the account holder's full name, account numbers, and the death certificate.
Death claim process
Follow these steps to file a death claim with USICG:
Filing a claim
- For plans USICG administers, call the Service Center at 866-305-8846 (Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET), then enter the plan code.
- Or email directsolutionsparticipantquestions@usi.com with the plan's name and three-digit code in the subject line.
- USICG's contact page directs retirement plan participants to their company plan's procedure, Human Resources Department or Help Line.
- Where another company keeps the plan's records, that company's claim process applies.
- Start at USICG's Distribution Forms page and choose whether the home address is a U.S. address.
- Read the Tax Notice and click Access Distribution Forms to acknowledge it.
- In the forms portal, enter the plan's three-digit plan ID number and the first three letters of the plan name (on page one of the quarterly statement).
- The portal then lists that plan's distribution forms.
- The form asks for the deceased employee's name, Social Security number, date of employment, date of birth and date of death.
- It also asks for the employer's name and contact.
- A separate form is filled out for each beneficiary, and all are submitted together.
- The form requires a handwritten signature and states that typed signatures are not valid and will not be accepted.
- Mail, email or fax the completed form and identification to the address printed on the plan's form.
- Keep the Special Tax Notice.
Required Documents
- Copy of the death certificateAttached to the Application for Death Benefit.
- Copy of the beneficiary's driver's license or other identifying documentsRequired before the request is processed.
- A separate Application for Death Benefit form for each beneficiaryAll the forms are submitted together.
- Signed acceptance from the successor custodian, for a direct rollover
- Any state withholding forms your state requires
- Form W-8BEN, if the home address is not a U.S. addressReturned completed with the distribution request.
Claims Contact
Website: Online portal →
Forms USICG issues1
What happens to each kind of account2
- Employer retirement plan
On the form USICG publishes for the Touchstone Investments 401(k) Program, the applicant claims as beneficiary of a stated percentage or, where there is no designated beneficiary, on behalf of the deceased employee's estate.3
- Pension
When a defined benefit plan buys a group annuity contract, the insurance company takes on all remaining participant payment obligations, so a survivor benefit is then paid by that insurer.4
What USICG's agreement and guidance say2
- How proceeds are paid
The payment choices on the Touchstone plan's form are a single lump sum in cash, a single lump sum direct rollover, a combination of cash and direct rollover, or installment payments. A receiving employer plan is not available to a non-spouse beneficiary, who may roll to an Inherited IRA.3
All checks, including rollover checks, are sent to the beneficiary address on the form. A rollover check may not be cashed and must be delivered to the receiving plan or IRA.3
- What it says about taxes
The Touchstone plan's form states that 20% mandatory federal income tax withholding applies to payment made directly to a spouse or non-spouse beneficiary and may not be waived.3
Not in USICG's published guidance1
- How long a claim takes
USI Consulting Group - Service Center can be reached by phone at 1-866-305-8846 and email at directsolutionsparticipantquestions@usi.com for questions throughout the claims process.
Sources
Data sourced from USICG primary sources (26 pages reviewed). How we research.
USICG death claims support
USI Consulting Group - Service Center (plans USICG administers)
Phone
Hours
Mailing address
Website
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