Frequently Asked Questions

MyAccount is a secure online service, allowing investors and borrowers quick access to their LCEF investment and loan information. Besides viewing balances, account history and accessing eStatements, users may:

• Make internal and external transfers
• Reorder checks
• Make one-time and recurring payments through the Bill Payment option. (personal users only; must have an All Access Account or Church Worker StewardAccount)
• Inform us of address changes (personal users only)
• Contact us via secure email
• View balance of IRA and HSA investments in MyAccount

Personal users: Have you enrolled in MyAccount? If not, enroll today. If you have already enrolled and are still experiencing issues, please call Customer Relations at 800-843-5233 for assistance.

Organization/Business users: Have you completed a MyAccount application and received a MyAccount username and password? If not, complete the Organization Application (PDF) to apply for access.

Personal users: Every effort is made to add new accounts. However, if you are missing an account, contact us at 800-843-5233, and we will update your access.

Business/Organization users: We require a MyAccount application (PDF) to be completed for each account that is added to MyAccount. The application must be signed by an elected officer or partner of your business or organization, approving the account’s placement on MyAccount. New loan accounts will be added automatically for each existing user of your organization.

MyAccount users using IE 10 or lower might receive a “Stronger security is required” message from their browser as these versions of IE are no longer considered to be secure. You should update your browser to something more secure such as Chrome, Firefox, IE 11 or Microsoft Edge®.

Personal users: Click the “Bill Payment” menu option in MyAccount. Follow the prompts to complete your enrollment.

Bill payment is not available to churches, schools or organizations

Personal users: MyAccount and an eligible All Access Account or Church Worker StewardAccount® are required to use the Bill Payment feature. The Bill Payment feature may not be used with:

• Health Savings Accounts (HSAs)
• Minor/Custodian Accounts
• StewardAccounts with a multiple-signer restriction

There is no limit to the number of payments made from investment accounts using the Bill Payment feature. However, transactional and daily limits may apply.

Documents requiring an officer’s authorization may be completed by any officer who was duly elected by the organization or business they represent. If requested, they can provide proof of their election through meeting minutes or other legally binding paperwork.

Your named beneficiaries are reflected on the Investment Certification acknowledgement you received when the account was opened. If you subsequently added or changed a beneficiary on an existing account, those modifications are acknowledged in a letter sent to you. To confirm beneficiary information on an existing account, call us at 800-843-5233.

You may complete a Beneficiary Designation Form (PDF) at any time to add or change a beneficiary. If you would like to designate beneficiaries for your IRA account, please use the IRA Beneficiary Designation Form (PDF).

Important: To ensure the accuracy of our records, a newly executed Beneficiary Designation Form replaces, in its entirety, all prior beneficiary forms. The beneficiaries named on the most current form will be the only beneficiaries recognized by LCEF.

Please visit our forms and documents page at lcef.org/forms-documents to download and complete the IRA Amendment Form (PDF). Please send the completed form to LCEF using the instructions on the form.

Redemptions can be made from investments at any time. Complete the redemption section of the Investment Slip (PDF) and mail or fax to us. Unless otherwise instructed, a check will be issued.

All Access Account, Young Investors StewardAccount® and Church Worker StewardAccount holders have the ability to write checks or may have access to their funds via the debit card.

Term Notes: Redemption of a term note prior to the maturity date may be subject to an early withdrawal penalty, which could result in the loss of principal.

If you received a letter from LCEF notifying you that your account has been classified as unclaimed property, it means our records show no account activity or communication initiated by you for at least three years (in certain states, it may have been five years since we have received contact from you). In the case of long-term inactivity, state regulations require us to formally notify you before transferring your funds to the state.

This notice is not a cause for alarm—it is an opportunity to act. Simply contact LCEF or return the completed, signed form included with your notice by the deadline indicated. Once we confirm your current address and account ownership, your funds will remain with LCEF and continue to support Lutheran ministry.

NOTE: Escheatment laws vary by state. For specific questions about your state’s unclaimed property process, visit your state’s official unclaimed property website or contact your state treasurer’s office.

The simplest way to keep your account in good standing is to stay in touch with us. Here are a few easy steps:

• Log in to your account or contact us at least once a year to confirm your information is current.
• Keep your mailing address up to date. If you move, notify LCEF as soon as possible so our records reflect your current address.
• Respond promptly to any correspondence from LCEF, including annual statements, notices or requests to verify your address.
• Designate a beneficiary, which can also help ensure your account is properly managed.

Staying connected—even with a simple annual check-in or information confirmation—is all it takes to keep your account active and protected.

If your funds have already been transferred to the state, you will need to file an unclaimed property claim directly with the state agency that received them. Here’s how to get started:

• Identify your state of last known residence. Funds are sent to the state associated with your most recent address on file with LCEF.
• Return your funds to LCEF (optional). Once your claim is approved and your funds are returned to you, you are welcome to reinvest them in an LCEF account so they continue to support the ministry in the way you originally intended. Contact us to help you get your account reestablished and your investment back to work for Lutheran ministry.

If your Visa debit card is lost or stolen, please call the UMB Card Center at 800-449-9176.

Escheatment is a legal process required by state law through which financial institutions like LCEF must transfer funds from inactive accounts to the state government for safekeeping. If LCEF is unable to confirm your current address or has had no account activity initiated by you for a period of time (length of that period depends on your state), we are required to report and remit those funds to the state of your last known residence. LCEF does not benefit from this process—our goal is always to keep your funds working for the ministry you care about.

If LCEF does not receive a response by the deadline listed in your notice, we are required by state law to turn over your account funds to the state of your last known residence. After that transfer occurs, your funds are held by the state—not LCEF—and you will need to file a claim directly with the appropriate state agency to recover them. We strongly encourage you to respond promptly to avoid this outcome.

Yes. Before transferring any funds to the state, LCEF will mail a notice to your last known address informing you of the pending escheatment and the deadline to respond. We make every effort to reach you and keep your funds where you want them. If you’ve moved recently and did not receive a notice you were expecting, please contact us right away to update your address.

We’re here to help. If you have questions about your account status, need to update your address, or received an unclaimed property notice and aren’t sure what to do next, please contact LCEF.

Our team is committed to serving you and making sure your investment continues to support the Lutheran ministries you love.

MyAccount users may establish one-time and recurring transfers between eligible accounts by using the “Money Movement” feature.

In an effort to be good stewards with the funds we have invested, LCEF will discontinue mailing receipts on deposits. Monthly statements are provided for All Access Accounts and accounts that receive an electronic deposit. To see a daily transaction history on your investment, please login or enroll in MyAccount, LCEF’s online banking platform.

Mail a Check: On the final page, you will receive mailing instructions for sending your check to LCEF to fund your new investment account. The mailing instructions are also included in the new account confirmation email.

ACH or Wire: On the final page, you will be given instructions for transferring funds by ACH or wire transfer to your new LCEF account. Please contact your financial institution to initiate the transfer option you selected.

Existing LCEF Account: If you have an eligible LCEF account, and would like to transfer funds to open your new account, please select the option to fund from an Internal Account on the final page of your enrollment process.

Yes, for security reasons, holds may be placed on funds in new accounts as well as on large dollar deposits.

The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) is a 2010 United States federal law to enforce the requirement for United States persons, including those living outside the U.S., to file yearly reports on their non-U.S. financial accounts to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FINCEN).

A U.S. person means any United States citizen or immigrant admitted for permanent residence in the United States.

Please submit your grades and service hours through our online form. The form accepts submissions from May 1 to August 31 each year.

Young investors who are 7-18 years old may receive extra credit.

Yes, LCEF is proud to recognize the accomplishments of all our student investors. Please submit a report card or equivalent document that reflects the academic performance of your Young Investor over the course of the school year.

Young Investors may earn a maximum of $25 per year for good grades – $1 per A per quarter, trimester or semester. Additionally, Young Investors may also earn $25 per year for completing 10+ hours of service. When Young Investors take full advantage of the extra credit opportunities, they have the potential to earn up to $50.

LCEF can only award your Young Investor for grades and service completed in the most recent academic year/summer. We do not accept submissions for missed years.

The Take Heart Scholarship was developed for high school seniors who will soon advance to the next level of higher education. Applications typically open in February of each year. Applicants must be YI StewardAccount holders.

Yes. Dollars currently invested with LCEF can be transferred to a Church Worker Loan Pool investment account.

No, there is no penalty. LCEF will waive the penalty for transferring funds from your existing LCEF investment to your new term note. We truly appreciate your commitment to supporting our church workers.

Yes. The standard penalties for these terms are as follows:
5-year: 180 days of interest
8-year: 365 days of interest
10-year: 365 days of interest

Yes, you may give online or mail a check to LCEF. Please address your envelope with Attn: Gift Development and on the Memo line on your check, please note Church Worker Loan Pool. Your contribution to the pool will help to provide a source of funding for church worker loans. Since LCEF is a Section 501(c)3 organization under the Internal Revenue Code, your contribution may be tax deductible depending on your circumstances. Please consult your tax advisor regarding the taxability of your donation.

As with all personal or corporate investment income, consult your tax advisor regarding the taxability of interest.

If LCEF discontinues the type of loan for which a Special-Purpose Note has been issued, then from and after the date of such discontinuance, such Note will no longer be treated as a Special-Purpose Note, and the interest rate on such Note will convert to the then-current interest rate that would otherwise be applicable to such Note if it had not been issued as a Special-Purpose Note.

Yes, you can make either a regular loan payment or principal only payment using your external bank account. Please note that an external transfer may take up to three days to reflect on your loan.

Please download the automatic transfer form, fill it out and email it to Loan.Operations@LCEF.org.

You may view this on MyAccount one business day after you’ve made a payment or on your next printed billing notice

Lutheran Church Extension Fund
PO Box 229009
St. Louis, MO 63122-9009

LCEF decided to discontinue providing blue postage-paid envelopes because we observed significant delays with metered mail. The issue remains unresolved despite reaching out to the post office multiple times, with delays lasting up to two weeks in some cases. To ensure that your deposits and investment information are processed on time, we have made the decision to switch to more reliable mailing options.

Here are your options:

• Pink Postage Paid Envelopes

1. 1. These are for deposits only and go to our Kansas City lockbox.
   2. Customers will receive a receipt, deposit slip and another pink envelope when they use this Lockbox for deposits. We have not found delays with this post office in Kansas City.

• MyAccount
  They can make external transfers to and from their local account – no mail is needed.
• Mobile Deposits
  This is the safest, quickest way to make a check deposit. For individual users only. MyAccount must be established first.
• Grey Envelope
  This is not paid postage, but our STL PO Box address is on it. These are not metered, so they are not held up at the PO Box and delivered within the expected time frame.

We appreciate your continuous support of LCEF, and we are always looking out for the best interest of our customers.