The Curveball During a routine death validation, one record stood out. The individual had several potential matches and incomplete data, with no confirmed date of death available through standard sources. While reviewing the obituary, the Berwyn Team of Experts spotted a comment mentioning the individual’s connection to Major League [continue reading]
The Social Security Administration (SSA) appears to have reversed a substantial and unprecedented addition of records to the Death Master File (DMF), highlighting the importance of expert interpretation in managing and understanding government datasets. Looking Back: DMF Experienced Significant Increase in April 2025 In early April 2025, the DMF saw [continue reading]
The Clue During a death validation review, our team encountered an obituary featuring a photo of the decedent on a Harley-Davidson. While the death record itself was plausible, we needed additional confirmation to confidently tie it to the correct individual—especially given multiple similar name matches. The Trail The photo [continue reading]
Background At The Berwyn Group, we often encounter near-identical records that challenge even the most sophisticated death audit processes. One recurring challenge is distinguishing between twins who share not only birthdates, but also strikingly similar names and life histories. Recently, our team encountered several such cases where death records [continue reading]
At first glance death audit service providers seem similar, but there are crucial differences that can significantly impact the integrity of your data, the longevity of your plan, and the delivery of life-saving benefits to participants and their families. Choosing the wrong provider doesn’t just risk inefficiencies—it can directly [continue reading]
The Social Security Administration’s (SSA) Limited Access Death Master File (DMF) has undergone significant changes over the past month. These developments highlight the continued degradation of the DMF’s data quality. Once a reliable source, the DMF now reflects only 16% of actual decedents – a sharp decline over the past 14 [continue reading]
Insurance professionals are all too familiar with the investigations and lawsuits targeting the industry. State insurance departments and other regulators have intensified their audits of insurers to ensure proper identification of deceased policyholders and timely benefit disbursement. Non-compliance with both RSAs (Regulatory Settlement Agreements) and GRAs (Global Regulatory Agreements) can [continue reading]
The Berwyn Group isn’t just participating in the death audit industry’s evolution – we are leading it. We are thrilled to release a new death audit solution that redefines the way organizations identify decedents with CertiDeath® Paragon™. During a March 2025 webinar, we discussed how CertiDeath Paragon significantly reduces [continue reading]
With upcoming Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) changes on the horizon, plan administrators are shifting their focus from death dates to birthdates—because even static data points like birthdates can pose challenges if they’re incorrect. With the RMD age increase going into effect on April 1, 2025, accurate participant records have never [continue reading]
Recent discussions about data accuracy in retirement systems have captured widespread attention, bringing renewed focus to the broader issue of maintaining up-to-date retiree records. The challenge of managing participant data and keeping records accurate is a very real concern. With over 30 years of assisting plans in managing their [continue reading]
