How Can a Family Find Mutual Funds After an Investor Dies?

When a parent passes away, the family has to handle paperwork during a difficult time. One common task is finding out which mutual funds they held. This can be hard because the funds may be with different fund houses, bought over many years, through different apps or agents.

If you are in this situation, we are sorry for your loss. This guide explains the steps simply: where to look first, which official tools can help, what documents you need, and what to avoid.

Start with family records and statements

Start by looking at home.

• Physical statements from fund houses, often in a file or drawer
• Emails from fund houses, CAMS, KFintech, NSDL or CDSL in your parent's inbox, if the family can access their devices
• Bank statements showing SIP debits, which will name the fund house
• Income tax returns and capital gains statements
• Letters from an agent or distributor who may have helped them invest

Bank statements are often the most useful starting point. A monthly debit to a fund house tells you exactly where to look.

Look for consolidated statements

A Consolidated Account Statement (CAS) lists mutual fund holdings across fund houses for a PAN. If your parent had a registered email, the CAS may already be in their inbox. Monthly or half-yearly statements are sent automatically when there are holdings.

• The RTA CAS from CAMS or KFintech covers mutual funds held outside demat
• The depository CAS from NSDL or CDSL also covers funds held in a demat account

You may not be able to request a fresh CAS in your parent's name yourself, but old ones already received are a great starting list. AMFI's CAS page explains the types.

Official channels that can help

Once you have the death certificate and are ready to claim, a few official routes help you find holdings.

Informing the fund house or registrar. Under the industry process set by AMFI, when a nominee, joint holder or legal heir reports the death to one fund house or registrar with the death certificate and PAN, the information is updated across fund houses. Folios are then marked and debits like SIPs are blocked. The fund house or registrar can also guide you on what other folios exist under that PAN as part of the claim.

MITRA. SEBI introduced the Mutual Fund Investment Tracing and Retrieval Assistant in 2025. It is run by CAMS and KFintech and helps trace inactive and unclaimed folios, including old ones that may not show up in a regular CAS. Use it through the official CAMS or KFintech websites.

The fund house directly. If you know or suspect a particular fund house, contact its investor service team with the investor's name, PAN and date of birth.

Only use these channels through proper claim processes, as a nominee or legal heir.

What information claimants should prepare

Requirements vary, but most claims need some combination of:

A nominee generally has the simplest path. Without a nominee, the family will need more documents, especially for larger holdings.

How to contact fund houses and follow their process

1. Visit the fund house website and find "Transmission" or "Claim" under investor services.
2. Download the current checklist and form. They change, so do not rely on old copies.
3. Submit at a fund house branch, a CAMS or KFintech service centre, or online if available.
4. Keep the acknowledgement and reference number.
5. Follow up if you do not hear back within the stated time.

If a claim is stuck without good reason, you can escalate within the fund house and then raise a complaint on SEBI's SCORES platform.

What not to do

• Don't log in to your parent's accounts using their password or OTP. Transacting as a deceased person can create serious legal trouble.
• Don't use their phone to approve anything.
• Don't pay unofficial agents who promise to recover money quickly. The official process is free.
• Don't share the death certificate or PAN with anyone other than the official institution.

Document every claim and response

Keep a simple log:

When several heirs are involved, sharing this log with everyone avoids misunderstandings.

Remember that a nominee may receive units on behalf of all legal heirs. If your parent left a will, it decides who finally inherits. Our post on what happens to a SIP after death explains this in more detail.

Once things settle, it helps to make sure your own family can find your investments, so they never have to do the same search.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I find my late father's mutual funds with just his PAN?

The PAN helps a lot. The fund house or registrar can use it during the claim process once you submit the death certificate. Old CAS statements in his email are also useful.

Is there a single portal to find all mutual funds of a deceased person?

There is no single public search, but reporting the death through one fund house or registrar updates it across the industry, and SEBI's MITRA helps find inactive and unclaimed folios.

How long does a mutual fund transmission take?

It depends on the documents and the case. Simple nominee claims with complete papers are usually quicker. Cases without a nominee take longer because more documents are needed.

What if no nominee was registered?

Legal heirs can still claim. Expect to provide proof of relationship and legal heir documents, such as a succession certificate or probate, depending on the amount and the fund house.

Can unclaimed mutual funds be lost forever?

The units remain in the folio. Unclaimed redemption or dividend amounts are held under SEBI rules and can be claimed later, so it is worth searching even years after.

Going through this teaches many families how much easier it is when records are kept in advance. When you are ready, our free Family Health Check can help your own household get prepared. If you need support with a claim, you can reach our team.