Annuity claims are paid after the Company ensures:

• You are the true beneficiary
• The contract is current and in force
• That all conditions of the contract have been met

Required documents

When filing a claim, these documents are necessary:

• Copy of death certificate - with cause and manner of death
• W-9 form - Completed for the beneficiary

One of the following Claim Election forms: 

• Retirement Cornerstone Series - Lump Sum Distribution new version
  • The Beneficiary receives their portion of the claim proceeds as a check
• Retirement Cornerstone Series - Spousal Continuation Option
  • The Sole Spousal Beneficiary is continuing the contract
• Retirement Cornerstone Inherited Annuity Beneficiary Continuation Option (BCO) for NQ Election Form
  • The Beneficiary is electing to defer payment over their lifetime or 5 years
• RC Inherited IRA BCO post 1 1 2020
  • The Beneficiary is electing to defer payment over their lifetime or 10 years
• Spousal Rollover Form for a Traditional IRA or Roth IRA
  • The Spousal Beneficiary is opening a new contract with EQH or funding an existing one
• Spousal Rollover Form for Non-Qualified Contracts
  • The spousal beneficiary is opening a new contract with EQH or funding an existing one

Additional documents

Not all options are available to all beneficiaries. Depending on your personal situation, these additional documents may be necessary:

• EQH Certification of Trust Form
  • Used to identify the trustee, beneficiary, and TIN of the trust, required if the beneficiary is a trust
• W-4R Form (Optional)

Please note:  All Forms above are the most requested claim options.  Please refer to the Checklist for additional details.

• Beneficiary Guide Checklist: A guide for all Claim options

Return all documents to:

Regular Mail

Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company
Retirement Service Solutions
P.O. Box 1016
Charlotte, NC 28201-1016

Express Mail

Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company
Retirement Service Solutions
8501 IBM Dr. Suite 150-IR 
Charlotte, NC 28262-4333

Email: rss_beneclaims@equitable.com

Fax: 816-701-8040

You may also request these forms be emailed or mailed to you by calling:

• Our toll-free number, (800) 789-7771, Monday through Thursday, 8:30am - 7:00pm and Friday 8:30am - 5:30pm ET
• The contract holder’s Financial Professional

If you need assistance at any time, we recommend that you check with your Financial Professional or contact the customer service area applicable to your situation.

These forms are Portable Document Format (PDF) files. If your browser is not yet capable of reading PDF files, you can download the free Adobe® Acrobat Reader™ software at the following link: http://www.adobe.com/prodindex/acrobat/readstep.html. Instructions for installation are also found at that location.