Hi there. I work at a bank, and when people come to withdraw money from their accounts I need to see the same ID they used when they opened the account. This is to protect their safety. Anyone can make up an I.D card and try to take money out of their account. In addition to their ID, I check their signature. If the signature is the same but the ID is different, I have to make a judgement call based on other factors. If it is a small amount of money I usually go ahead, and as a courtesy give them the money, with a reminder that they have to update their id information in our system.

A 401k, is likely a larger amount than a one hundred dollar withdrawal. Banks take identification issues very seriously. If they give money to the wrong person, they face a potential loss. Not only do they lose the money they gave out, they then have to worry about the real account owner trying to sue them for thousands or millions of dollars. It then makes sense for a bank to want the same ID you used when you opened the account and/or to question the name change.

Unfortunately, there is no good news. You are looking at at least a few more days before you can get this rectified, so you may as well take a deep breath and just go with the flow. No need of being miserable for the next few days about something which is beyond your control. Gather your documents proving your identity, including your marriage and divorce papers, etc, but don't be surprised if they are going to request a new ID with the proper name on it, before they can release your funds. Good luck