How to designate beneficiaries at Acorns
Beneficiaries are managed online or by mail
Preparing your Acorns investment accounts for estate transfer involves two primary strategies: designating beneficiaries on individual accounts and, where supported, retitling accounts into a revocable living trust. Both approaches bypass probate, but they work differently depending on the account type.
The transfer rules at Acorns vary across 8 investment accounts. Below is a breakdown of beneficiary options, trust funding, and which products support each method.
Beneficiary form at Acorns
Beneficiary Form and Agreement (for investment accounts) and IRA beneficiary form provided by or acceptable to Forge Trust Co. (for IRAs).
Open the form →Beneficiary designation is not available for deposit accounts at Acorns.
- Enter the beneficiary's name, date of birth and relationship
- Only one beneficiary can be added per Later account through the app
- The beneficiary must be at least 18 years old
- A trust or a primary/contingent structure cannot be entered here; a trust designation is arranged through support on a form the custodian accepts
- Section 1, Your Account Information: first and last name, then either your Social Security number or your Acorns account number, plus a phone number
- Section 2, Designated Beneficiary: name of beneficiary or trust; name of trustee if applicable; street address, suite/apartment, city, state and ZIP
- Section 2 also asks for date of birth, relationship, phone number, and either the beneficiary's Social Security number or a Tax ID number for a trust or entity
- For a trust: its full legal name in the beneficiary/trust field, the trustee's name in the trustee field, and its Tax ID number in place of a Social Security number
- There is no allocation-percentage field and no primary/contingent election on the form
- Section 4: print your name, sign and date
Required Documents
- Beneficiary's name, date of birth and relationship (for an Acorns Later IRA, in the app)
- Beneficiary Form and Agreement, completed and signed (for Acorns Invest)
- Your name, and your Social Security number or Acorns account number (on the Invest form). The form also asks for your phone number
- Beneficiary's name, address, date of birth, relationship and phone number (on the Invest form)
- Beneficiary's Social Security number, or a Tax ID number for a trust or entity (on the Invest form)
- Beneficiary Form and Agreement naming the trust, completed and signed (when naming a trust)
- Full legal name of the trust and the name of the trustee (when naming a trust). Both are fields on the form
- The trust's Tax ID number (when naming a trust). The form accepts a Tax ID in place of a Social Security number
- The trust's mailing address (when naming a trust)
- Enter the beneficiary's name, date of birth and relationship
- Only one beneficiary can be added per Later account through the app
- The beneficiary must be at least 18 years old
- A trust or a primary/contingent structure cannot be entered here; a trust designation is arranged through support on a form the custodian accepts
- Section 1, Your Account Information: first and last name, then either your Social Security number or your Acorns account number, plus a phone number
- Section 2, Designated Beneficiary: name of beneficiary or trust; name of trustee if applicable; street address, suite/apartment, city, state and ZIP
- Section 2 also asks for date of birth, relationship, phone number, and either the beneficiary's Social Security number or a Tax ID number for a trust or entity
- For a trust: its full legal name in the beneficiary/trust field, the trustee's name in the trustee field, and its Tax ID number in place of a Social Security number
- There is no allocation-percentage field and no primary/contingent election on the form
- Section 4: print your name, sign and date
Required Documents
- Beneficiary's name, date of birth and relationship (for an Acorns Later IRA, in the app)
- Beneficiary Form and Agreement, completed and signed (for Acorns Invest)
- Your name, and your Social Security number or Acorns account number (on the Invest form). The form also asks for your phone number
- Beneficiary's name, address, date of birth, relationship and phone number (on the Invest form)
- Beneficiary's Social Security number, or a Tax ID number for a trust or entity (on the Invest form)
- Beneficiary Form and Agreement naming the trust, completed and signed (when naming a trust)
- Full legal name of the trust and the name of the trustee (when naming a trust). Both are fields on the form
- The trust's Tax ID number (when naming a trust). The form accepts a Tax ID in place of a Social Security number
- The trust's mailing address (when naming a trust)
- Enter the beneficiary's name, date of birth and relationship
- Only one beneficiary can be added per Later account through the app
- The beneficiary must be at least 18 years old
- A trust or a primary/contingent structure cannot be entered here; a trust designation is arranged through support on a form the custodian accepts
- Section 1, Your Account Information: first and last name, then either your Social Security number or your Acorns account number, plus a phone number
- Section 2, Designated Beneficiary: name of beneficiary or trust; name of trustee if applicable; street address, suite/apartment, city, state and ZIP
- Section 2 also asks for date of birth, relationship, phone number, and either the beneficiary's Social Security number or a Tax ID number for a trust or entity
- For a trust: its full legal name in the beneficiary/trust field, the trustee's name in the trustee field, and its Tax ID number in place of a Social Security number
- There is no allocation-percentage field and no primary/contingent election on the form
- Section 4: print your name, sign and date
Required Documents
- Beneficiary's name, date of birth and relationship (for an Acorns Later IRA, in the app)
- Beneficiary Form and Agreement, completed and signed (for Acorns Invest)
- Your name, and your Social Security number or Acorns account number (on the Invest form). The form also asks for your phone number
- Beneficiary's name, address, date of birth, relationship and phone number (on the Invest form)
- Beneficiary's Social Security number, or a Tax ID number for a trust or entity (on the Invest form)
- Beneficiary Form and Agreement naming the trust, completed and signed (when naming a trust)
- Full legal name of the trust and the name of the trustee (when naming a trust). Both are fields on the form
- The trust's Tax ID number (when naming a trust). The form accepts a Tax ID in place of a Social Security number
- The trust's mailing address (when naming a trust)
What Acorns says about beneficiaries and trusts
Each section is Acorns's own statement, with the document it comes from numbered under Sources.
Which accounts take a beneficiary5
- Investment account
Acorns Invest takes a transfer on death beneficiary on the paper Beneficiary Form and Agreement. There is no in-app path for the Invest account.1
- IRA
The Acorns Later IRA beneficiary is set in the Acorns app under the "Later" section. Only one beneficiary can be added per Later account through the app.2
- Payable-on-death account
Acorns Checking and Emergency Savings accept no beneficiary designation. Acorns states: "It's not possible to add a beneficiary to your Acorns checking account, Emergency Savings, or Acorns Early account."2
- Custodial account (UTMA/UGMA)
Acorns Early Invest accepts no beneficiary designation.2
Who can be named2
- A minor, IRAs
The beneficiary of an Acorns Later IRA set in the app must be at least 18 years old.2
- A trust, investment accounts
A trust can be named as transfer on death beneficiary on Acorns Invest. The form has a "Name of beneficiary/trust" field and a "Name of trustee (if applicable)" field.1
- A trust, IRAs
Forge Trust Co., the IRA custodian, permits "one or more persons or entities" as beneficiary on "a form provided by or acceptable to us." A trust cannot be entered in the app, so a trust designation on the IRA is arranged through Acorns support.3
How many beneficiaries, and how shares are split
What a designation takes to be effective
- Investment account
The account holder prints their name, signs and dates Section 4 of the Beneficiary Form and Agreement.1
Beneficiary forms Acorns issues2
- Beneficiary Form and Agreement
For investment accounts. Available to download.1
Return to
- IRA beneficiary form provided by or acceptable to Forge Trust Co.
For IRAs. Sent by the institution on request.3
What Acorns's agreement says about beneficiaries5
- A designation and a will
The form states that the designation "will take precedence over any disposition contained in other documents such as a will, trust, premarital or other legal document."1
- Changing or revoking a designation
Each Beneficiary Form and Agreement "cancels any existing beneficiary information."1
- Which state governs the account
The Beneficiary Form and Agreement is governed by California law.1
- Whether beneficiaries are told they are named
The Beneficiary Form and Agreement states that Acorns "has no obligation to locate or notify any beneficiary."1
- Who can see the designation
Acorns states beneficiaries "should not be viewable in your Acorns app," for any account type. Support confirms what is on file.2
Which accounts a trust can hold3
- Investment account
Acorns Invest cannot be retitled to a trust. A trust can be named as its transfer on death beneficiary.1
- Payable-on-death account
Acorns Checking and Emergency Savings cannot carry a trust in any capacity.4
- Custodial account (UTMA/UGMA)
Acorns Early Invest cannot carry a trust in any capacity.4
What Acorns says about trust accounts2
- Whether a new account is opened
Acorns does not retitle any account to a trust and does not open trust-titled accounts. Acorns states: "No, your Acorns account must be in your name. We also can't transfer ownership of your account to anyone else."4
Accounts handled elsewhere1
- Forge Trust Co.
Custodian of the Acorns Later IRAs3
Not in Acorns's published guidance1
- Which trust documents it accepts
Sources4
- 1.Beneficiary Form and Agreement
- 2.Can I add a beneficiary to my account?
- 3.Forge Trust Co. IRA custodial terms
- 4.Acorns support article on trusts
Sources
Data sourced from Acorns primary sources (19 pages reviewed). How we research.
Download these Acorns instructions
A printable PDF with the steps, required documents, and contact details, verified against Acorns primary sources. Bring it to the branch or keep it beside the phone.
Acorns estate support
Acorns Customer Support
Phone
Acorns Early (kids product) support
Avibra life insurance (Gold benefit, not Acorns)
Hours
Mailing address
Website
Estate requests go through general customer service.
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