I have a customer who has a joint account with her husband who passed away 08/09. She is afraid to take his name off the account just in case something else comes through. She has also remarried and wants to change her name. She does not want to add the new husband to the account. My questions are: how long would you allow her to leave her deceased husband’s name on the account, would you allow her to change the name since he obviously can’t sign and does the ownership change to single ownership?

A common myth amoung many customers I have worked with is that leaving the decedent's name on the account somehow entitles them to continue to deposit checks payable to the decedent. This is simply not true. Any assets that remain in the decedent's name that do not have a joint owner or beneficiary legally belong to their estate. I would gently council the widow of this legal fact and request that the name be taken off. You can reclassify the account as individual if she does not wish to add her new spouse to the account. Most CIP policies I have seen will accept either an updated driver's license or certified copy of the marriage certificate to change a customer's name in the case of marriage.