Last verified 2026-08-18; facts checked against the primary sources below

USAA Survivor Relations: bank account checklist

Last verified: August 18, 2026

The short answer: Call the USAA Bank Survivor Relations Team at 855-204-0378, Monday–Friday, 7:30 AM–6 PM CT. Its current Letter of Instruction covers checking, savings, and non-IRA certificates. The claimant identifies their role—executor, POD beneficiary, surviving owner, surviving trustee, or successor trustee—and attaches the supporting documents for that role.

USAA deceased bank accounts at a glance

How do you start a USAA survivor case?

Call Survivor Relations before returning the Letter of Instruction. A nonmember claimant may first need USAA to establish the claimant's relationship to the deceased member. Doing that before mailing the form helps avoid an address or identity mismatch.

The form asks for the decedent's name, accounts, and optional identifying information, plus the claimant's address, phone, relationship, and payment instructions.

Which authority documents apply?

An executor or administrator may need Letters Testamentary, Letters of Administration, a short certificate, or another court appointment. A POD beneficiary claims under the account designation. A successor trustee acts only for a trust-styled account. A surviving joint owner acts under the account registration.

Do not use the bank form for an IRA, life policy, or annuity without confirming the correct USAA product team.

What should you confirm before disbursement?

Ask for the date-of-death balance, final statements, pending transactions, federal-benefit reversals, tax forms, and the exact payee on the settlement check. Keep copies of everything submitted.

Use the current USAA form and the product-specific checklist supplied by Survivor Relations.