Does a group RRSP at work get processed any differently than a personal RRSP when the holder dies?

The underlying tax rules are the same either way, since both are RRSPs governed by the same federal tax provisions. Proceeds generally pass to the named beneficiary outside the estate, and the same spousal or dependent-child rollover options can apply regardless of whether the plan was set up individually or through an employer's group arrangement. What can differ is the practical administration: a group RRSP involves the employer's plan sponsor and group provider, which sometimes means an extra layer of paperwork or a different claims process compared to dealing directly with a bank or individual investment firm.

Beneficiary designations on a group RRSP can also sometimes get overlooked or left outdated, since people tend to focus more attention on personal accounts they manage directly, and group plan enrollment forms filled out early in a job may not get updated as life circumstances change. It's worth checking your group RRSP's beneficiary designation periodically, the same way you would for any other registered account, rather than assuming it's automatically current.

If you're an estate trustee dealing with a group RRSP after a death, contact the plan administrator, often the employer's HR department or the group provider directly, to start the claims process, since it may differ slightly from an individual account's process.