{ "title": "Beneficiary Designation and Trust Account Rules at US Financial Institutions", "publisher": "StepUpLaw", "license": "CC BY 4.0", "retrieved_from": "2026-09-24", "retrieved_to": "2026-09-26", "institutions_checked": 546, "files": { "beneficiary_rules.csv / .json": "Beneficiary designation rules, one row per institution and account group.", "trust_accounts.csv / .json": "Rules for an account owned by or retitled to a trust, one row per institution and account group." }, "account_groups": { "ira": "Traditional, Roth, SEP, SIMPLE and inherited IRAs", "employer_plan": "401(k), 403(b), 457, 401(a) and the TSP", "pension": "Defined benefit pension systems", "brokerage_tod": "Brokerage transfer on death (TOD) registration", "bank_pod": "Bank and credit union payable on death (POD) accounts", "annuity": "Annuity contracts", "life": "Life insurance", "hsa": "Health savings accounts" }, "row_columns": { "inst_id": "Stable identifier for the institution", "institution": "Institution name", "segment": "brokerage, bank, credit_union, recordkeeper, insurer, pension or hsa", "account_group": "See account_groups", "account_types": "Account types covered (semicolon separated in the CSV)", "florida": "yes if the institution is headquartered in Florida or is a Florida state plan" }, "per_field_columns": { "value": "yes, no or not stated. A yes or no always carries a verbatim quote from the institution's own document. \"Not stated\" means the public documents read are silent. It does not mean the option is refused.", "detail": "A short note on what the document says, written by the compiler.", "quote": "The institution's own words, verbatim (whitespace, quotation marks and hyphenation normalized; \"...\" marks omitted text).", "account_type": "The account type or form the value was read from, where the institution has more than one in the group.", "page": "Page of the document the quote is on, or \"web page\".", "source_url": "The institution's own URL for the document. Where the live URL refused scripted requests, the quote was read from an Internet Archive (Wayback Machine) capture of that URL.", "form_number": "The form number printed on the document, if any.", "revision_date": "The revision or edition date printed on the document, if any.", "wayback_capture": "Date of the Wayback Machine capture the quote was read from, if not read live.", "retrieved": "Date the document was retrieved." }, "beneficiary_fields": { "trust_primary": "Can a trust be named as primary beneficiary?", "trust_contingent": "Can a trust be named as contingent beneficiary?", "trust_details_required": "Does the form require trust details (name, date, trustee, TIN)?", "trust_naming_required": "To name a trust, must the form give the trust date and trustee name, or use 'as trustee' wording?", "trust_docs_requested": "Does the institution ask for trust documents (and when)?", "see_through_certification": "Does it ask the owner or trustee to certify see-through status or supply the Treas. Reg. 1.401(a)(9)-4 documentation?", "subtrust_naming_format": "Does it give a format for naming sub-trusts or separate shares?", "per_stirpes_offered": "Is per stirpes offered?", "per_stirpes_definition": "Does the institution define per stirpes?", "per_capita_offered": "Is per capita (or per capita at each generation) offered as a distribution option?", "ldps_or_descendants_allowed": "Can the owner name a class such as 'lineal descendants, per stirpes' (LDPS), 'my descendants' or 'my children' without listing each person?", "banned_language": "Does the form ban specific words, phrases or references?", "custom_designation_accepted": "Does it accept a custom or attorney-drafted designation?", "custom_review_process": "Does it describe how a custom designation is reviewed?", "minors": "Can a minor be named (and with what arrangement)?", "estate_allowed": "Can the owner's estate be named?", "default_beneficiary": "Does it state who takes if no designation or no beneficiary survives?", "successor_beneficiary": "Can a beneficiary name a successor beneficiary?", "lapse_rule": "Does it state what happens to a predeceased beneficiary's share?", "spousal_consent": "Is spousal consent required in some circumstance?", "spousal_consent_mechanics": "Are consent mechanics stated (notary or plan representative, time limit, wet signature)?", "divorce_revocation_stated": "Does the document say whether divorce revokes a designation of the former spouse?", "max_beneficiaries": "Is a maximum number of beneficiaries stated (yes = a limit; no = stated to be unlimited)?", "online_designation": "Can the designation be made online (no = paper only)?", "notarization_or_medallion": "Must the owner's signature be notarized or medallion guaranteed?", "esign_accepted": "Is an electronic or digital signature accepted for the designation (no = wet signature required)?", "submission_method": "Is the way to submit the designation stated (detail lists online, mail, fax, upload, in person)?", "stated_processing_time": "Is a processing time stated for the designation or change?", "disclaimer_procedure": "Does it describe how a beneficiary disclaims (qualified disclaimer)?" }, "trust_account_fields": { "trust_account_offered": "Can an account be opened or retitled in a trust's name?", "certification_accepted": "Is a certification of trust (or the institution's own trust certification form) accepted?", "full_instrument_required": "Is the full trust instrument required?", "pages_required": "Does it specify which pages or excerpts of the trust must be provided?", "trustee_signatures": "Must all (or specific) trustees sign?", "trustee_id": "Is identification required for each trustee?", "tax_id": "Does it state whether the grantor's SSN or a trust EIN is used?", "successor_trustee_proof": "Does it state what a successor trustee must provide?", "grantor_death": "Does it state what is required when the grantor dies?", "trustee_change": "Does it state what is required when a trustee changes (resigns, is added, is removed)?" }, "csv_naming": "In the CSV each field appears as (the value) followed by _detail, _quote, _account_type, _page, _source_url, _form_number, _revision_date, _wayback_capture and _retrieved." }