Last verified 2026-09-28; facts checked against the primary sources below

USAA Survivor Relations: phone number and bank account checklist

Last verified: September 28, 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 send with the Letter of Instruction?

USAA says the documents depend on the account and your role. Its form's required-documents FAQ lists a death-certificate copy for most cases, current court-issued Letters for an executor, and a Letter of Instruction from each executor unless co-executors sign one together. A beneficiary supplies a death-certificate copy. For a possible small-estate route, ask Survivor Relations which state-specific affidavit it accepts; the form explicitly says an affidavit of heirship is not accepted for bank-account closure.

Before submitting, keep a copy of the completed form and ask USAA for a secure delivery route if it has not given you one. Do not send account numbers or identity documents to an address taken from an advertisement or unsolicited message.

Can you submit the USAA survivor form without the account numbers?

Yes. The Letter of Instruction allows “All USAA Bank accounts” when account numbers are unavailable. It covers checking, savings, and non-IRA certificates. If you are not a USAA member, call 855-204-0378 before returning it to establish your relationship to the deceased. The form also says to correct an outdated member-profile mailing address before submission.

Can USAA transfer the money to another bank?

The form does not support a direct transfer or wire to an external bank. Its internal-transfer option is limited to eligible USAA checking and savings accounts; non-IRA certificates are paid by check. USAA says the check goes to the address on the claimant's USAA member profile, so confirm that address with Survivor Relations before submitting the form (USAA form and FAQ).

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.

Where should you look next?

If the person held accounts at other institutions, compare the starting contacts in the notification directory. If you do not know where their accounts were held, use the account finder to make a search checklist.

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