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 led [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 initially [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]
Death Audit clients will mitigate security risk by significantly reducing or eliminating the transfer of sensitive PII. [Independence, Ohio] -- The Berwyn Group (Berwyn), announces CertiDeath® Paragon™, a first-of-its-kind death audit solution. This revolutionary product will significantly reduce or eliminate the need to transfer sensitive Personally Identifiable Information (PII), [continue reading]
What does playing a piano and validating decedents have in common? They both look simple to do from a spectator perspective, but to actually perform well is another story. It takes years of experience and vast knowledge to become accomplished at playing the piano or validating decedents. The death [continue reading]
