by lost2in10 » Fri Sep 10, 2010 09:42 pm
I cant find out anything, my step father is not cooperating, i was only child, and she worked for the state we live in for over 35 yrs, in addition she had mutual funds and stocks that she always told me i was beneficiary on including telling me i was on her life insur, what do i do? I called the funeral home for her death cert and they told me that my step father picked up the death certificate yesterday and they would not give me a copy of my own mothers death certificate. . I dont know what to do???? I dont have her social either. Please someone give me advise. I am at a loss! We live in Md
Posted: Sun Sep 12, 2010 03:13 pm Post Subject:
Lots of things wrong here. Here's the deal
- You cannot be a "beneficiary" of a mutual fund. If there is no joint owner then the mutual funds tranfer to the deceased's estate, if there is a will, then the funds are probated accordingly, if there isn't, then probating the funds goes through the intestate process.
- You need to determine what life insurance you are trying to receive benefits from. If it's a group policy, then you can go to her employer and ask about details. They can provide you with what company underwrote the policy, and you can contact them. As beneficiary, they will talk to you. Alterntatively, if someone sends the company the death certificate and you are the beneficiary, they will send you a check for the amount you are owed.
- You don't get death certificates the funeral home. You get them from a town or city clerk. Town Hall, City Hall, wherever it is that mom lived, that's where the death record is held, and where the death certificates come from.
Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 10:48 am Post Subject:
Well if it is possible then you can try to get her old bank statements, especially her payments to insurance companies and you can also try her insurance agent to help dig the information.
Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 12:57 pm Post Subject:
You cannot be a "beneficiary" of a mutual fund. If there is no joint owner then the mutual funds tranfer to the deceased's estate,
Not entirely accurate. While only a retirement account (IRA, 401(k), etc) may actually have a named beneficiary, any individually-owned mutual fund account may be established as a "TOD" account -- TRANSFER ON DEATH. All account assets automatically become the owned property of the listed person, entirely bypassing the probate process. It is the functional equivalent of a beneficiary statement -- but there could be tax liabilities involved.
The other issues about who the beneficiary of a life policy is, obtaining death certificates, etc, are less certain. If you don't believe you have the ability to track down all these things on your own, you may have to employ an estate-planning attorney to assist you.
But as a direct relative you should be able to obtain death certificate on your own from the state (may take a bit longer than from the funeral director in some states), and as has been said, if you know who the insurance company is, you may contact them directly. Same is true of the mutual fund companies.
YOU have to know the appropriate information, and it doesn't sound like that's the case. If your mother worked for the state, her retirement benefit, if any, probably goes to your stepfather, unless he signed off allowing them to be paid to someone else. You should be able to find that information out from the state's retirement authority. But, again, without your mother's SSN, they are unlikely to give you any information at all.
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