How to designate beneficiaries at ADP
Beneficiaries are managed online, by phone or by mail
Beneficiary designations on ADP retirement retirement accounts carry more weight than most people realize. They override a will, control who receives the balance, and determine the tax treatment of inherited distributions. Reviewing these designations after any major life change is essential.
With 10 product types, ADP offers a range of transfer options. Some retirement accounts support beneficiary designations on tax-advantaged accounts, others can be retitled into a trust, and some require probate if no beneficiary is designated. The sections below break down each step.
Beneficiary form at ADP
Plan beneficiary designation form (for employer retirement plans) and Fidelity Advisor IRA Beneficiary Designation (for IRAs).
Open the form →- Full legal name, relationship, date of birth, SSN and percentage allocation
- Trust beneficiary: trust name, date established, trustee, and trust TIN/EIN
- It is "your sole responsibility to submit instructions relating to the Services and to verify the accuracy and completeness thereof"
- ADP "may not review the accuracy or completeness of the instructions you submit"
- Beneficiary names, SSNs, dates of birth, relationships and percentage allocations
- For a trust: trust name, date established, trustee name, and trust TIN/EIN
- If married and naming a non-spouse as primary beneficiary on a qualified plan, obtain spousal consent with a notarized signature
Required Documents
- Beneficiary's full legal name and relationship
- Beneficiary's date of birth
- Beneficiary's Social Security number
- Percentage allocation for each beneficiary
- Trust name, date established, trustee and trust TIN/EIN (when naming a trust)
- Plan beneficiary form with the spouse's notarized consent (if married and naming anyone other than the spouse as primary beneficiary on a qualified plan)
- Trust document or certification of trust (when naming a trust). A full copy of the trust agreement or a certification of trust, sent to the employer's plan administrator
- Trust amendment pages (when naming a trust whose trustee or name has changed)
- Trustee identification (when naming a trust)
- Completed plan beneficiary designation form (by mail). From the employer or ADP Participant Services
What ADP says about beneficiaries and trusts
Each section is ADP's own statement, with the document it comes from numbered under Sources.
Which accounts take a beneficiary2
- Employer retirement plan
A participant with more than one ADP-recordkept plan designates beneficiaries separately for each plan.1
The plan document, not ADP, sets what a trust beneficiary may elect after death.2
- IRA
The Fidelity Advisor IRA Beneficiary Designation on adp.com belongs to the SIMPLE IRA product and is not for a 401(k) or 403(b) account.3
Who can be named1
- A trust
A trust can be named as beneficiary. The designation needs the trust name, the date it was established, the trustee and the trust TIN/EIN.1
How many beneficiaries, and how shares are split
What a designation takes to be effective
- Employer retirement plan
A married participant naming anyone other than the spouse as primary beneficiary of a qualified plan cannot complete it online: the spouse signs the consent on the plan's beneficiary form before a notary.2
Beneficiary forms ADP issues2
- Plan beneficiary designation form
For employer retirement plans. Completed by the participant, returned to the employer's plan administrator. Sent by the institution on request.2
- Fidelity Advisor IRA Beneficiary Designation
For IRAs. Available to download.3
What ADP's agreement says about beneficiaries1
- A designation and a will
Beneficiary designations control over a will or trust document, so a plan account will not follow the residuary clause of the participant's will.2
Which accounts a trust can hold1
- Employer retirement plan
An employer-sponsored retirement account (401(k), 403(b), pension, profit sharing) cannot be retitled to a trust during the participant's lifetime. The plan trust already owns the assets; the participant holds an account balance under it.2
Not in ADP's published guidance2
- A 401(k) or 403(b) beneficiary form to download
- Which trust documents it accepts
Sources
(5)·
Data sourced from ADP primary sources (15 pages reviewed). How we research.
Download these ADP instructions
A printable PDF with the steps, required documents, and contact details, verified against ADP primary sources. Bring it to the branch or keep it beside the phone.
ADP estate support
ADP Participant Services
Phone
mykplan.com Customer Service Representative
ADP TotalSource Plans (Voya)
ADP TotalSource My Life Advisors
Client Services (Plan Sponsors / Administrators)
New 401(k) Plan Setup (1-800-432-401k)
SIMPLE IRA Help Desk
Enrollment Information
General ADP Automated Support
Sales
Website
Estate requests go through general customer service.
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