How to name beneficiaries and fund a trust at Aflac
Beneficiaries are managed online, by phone or by mail. Trust paperwork is taken by phone
Estate planning with Aflac policies centers on beneficiary designations—the single most important step for ensuring life insurance proceeds and annuity benefits reach the intended recipients without probate involvement. Unlike bank or brokerage accounts, insurance products are not retitled into trusts; instead, trusts are named as beneficiaries when estate tax planning or controlled distributions are needed.
Across 14 product types, Aflac policies vary in how they transfer at death. The sections below walk through beneficiary designations, trust funding options, and which products support each method.
Beneficiary form at Aflac
Request for Beneficiary Change (Form H-L0046) (for life insurance policys) and NY Request for Beneficiary Change (Form HNY-L0046) (for life insurance policys).
Open the form →- Policyholder name, SSN, policy/certificate number, policy/certificate type, date of birth, and email address
- The primary beneficiaries you are changing "From" (write N/A if none was previously named)
- The new primary beneficiaries: up to four slots, each taking name, address, telephone, SSN, date of birth, relationship to insured, and percentage of proceeds
- The same From/To structure for contingent beneficiaries, again up to four slots
- A trust is named by writing its full legal name, exactly as it appears in the trust instrument, in the beneficiary name field
- The form has no dedicated trust name, trust date, or trust EIN field and no beneficiary-type selector
- For a trust, use the trustee's mailing address and telephone number for the beneficiary address and phone fields, and enter the relationship as trust
- Set the trust's percentage of proceeds (100% if it is the sole primary beneficiary), or use the contingent section if the trust is a backstop
Required Documents
- Policy or certificate number and personal identification (by phone)
- Policyholder's name, SSN, date of birth and email address (on the form)
- Policy or certificate number and type (on the form)
- The beneficiaries being changed (on the form). Write N/A if none was previously named
- Each beneficiary's name, address and telephone number (on the form)
- Each beneficiary's Social Security number and date of birth (on the form)
- Each beneficiary's relationship to the insured and percentage of proceeds (on the form)
- The trust's exact full legal name (when naming a trust). As it appears in the trust instrument; it goes in the beneficiary name field
- Trustee name, mailing address and telephone number (when naming a trust). For the beneficiary contact fields
- The trust's EIN and date of establishment (when naming a trust, if the carrier asks)
- Completed Request for Beneficiary Change form (by mail or fax). Form H-L0046, or HNY-L0046 in New York
Required Documents
- Executed trust instrument (for an ILIT). Drafted by an estate attorney; Aflac does not draft or set up ILITs
- Trust's full legal name, date established, EIN and trustee's details (when the carrier asks)
What Aflac says about beneficiaries and trusts
Each section is Aflac's own statement, with the document it comes from numbered under Sources.
Which accounts take a beneficiary1
- Health, long-term care or disability policy
Supplemental policies (accident, cancer, critical illness) also carry beneficiary designations.1
Who can be named1
- A trust
A trust is named by writing its full legal name in the beneficiary name field. The Request for Beneficiary Change form alone is sufficient; Aflac does not require the trust instrument to be filed with the designation.1
How many beneficiaries, and how shares are split
- Life insurance policy
Percentage allocations must total 100% for each beneficiary tier, with a maximum of four primary and four contingent beneficiaries per form.1
What a designation takes to be effective
- All accounts
Only the policyholder or certificateholder can change a beneficiary designation, and only the policyholder's signature is required. The form calls for no witness and no notarization.1
In a community property state, if a married policyholder names someone other than the spouse as primary beneficiary, the form warns the spouse may have rights to the death benefit and recommends submitting spousal consent documentation waiving those rights. A spouse's claim may delay payment.1
Beneficiary forms Aflac issues2
- Request for Beneficiary Change (Form H-L0046)
For life insurance policys. Completed by the policyholder. Available to download.1
Return to
Fax: 1-800-448-8922
Mailing address: American Family Life Assurance Company of Columbus, Worldwide Headquarters, Attn: Policyholder Services, 1932 Wynnton Road, Columbus, GA 31999
- NY Request for Beneficiary Change (Form HNY-L0046)
For life insurance policys. Completed by the policyholder. Available to download.2
Return to
Fax: 1-888-694-1265
Mailing address: American Family Life Assurance Company of New York, 22 Corporate Woods Boulevard, Suite 2, Albany, NY 12211
What Aflac's agreement says about beneficiaries3
- No beneficiary survives
If there is no living beneficiary, the form states that Aflac "will pay any applicable benefit to your estate."1
- A minor as beneficiary
Aflac's form states that it does not recommend naming a minor child as beneficiary. Benefits due a minor are not payable until a court appoints a guardian for the minor's financial estate or the beneficiary reaches the age of majority in the policyholder's state.1
- A designation and a will
Beneficiary designations on a life policy control over instructions in a will.1
State requirements Aflac statesNew York
- New York
New York policyholders must use the New York form (HNY-L0046) and its Albany address; the standard form is not accepted for Aflac New York policies.2
Which accounts a trust can hold2
- Life insurance policy
Aflac life insurance supports two trust paths: naming a trust as beneficiary, or making a trust the owner of the policy through an ILIT. An ownership transfer has to be arranged by phone with the issuing carrier.5, 3
- Health, long-term care or disability policy
Supplemental policies (accident, cancer, critical illness, hospital, dental, vision, disability) pay cash benefits directly to the policyholder and cannot be retitled to a trust.3
What Aflac says about trust accounts1
- A trust as owner of a policy
Aflac's ILIT page states: "While Aflac doesn't set up ILITs, you may be able to hold an Aflac term or whole life insurance policy in one."5
The page directs policyholders to work with an estate planning attorney to draft the trust and to decide whether the trust will buy a new policy or receive ownership of an existing one.5
Accounts handled elsewhere3
- American Family Life Assurance Company of New York
Policies issued by Aflac New York2
Phone: 1-800-366-3436
Fax: 1-888-694-1265
Mailing address: American Family Life Assurance Company of New York, 22 Corporate Woods Boulevard, Suite 2, Albany, NY 12211
- Tier One Customer Service Center
Tier One direct-to-consumer policies, including final expense4
Phone: 1-866-990-2668
Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-8:00 PM ET
- Trustmark Insurance Company
Aflac Group universal life certificates6
Not in Aflac's published guidance2
- A trust account form
- Trust certification requirement
Sources
Data sourced from Aflac primary sources (15 pages reviewed). How we research.
Download these Aflac instructions
A printable PDF with the steps, required documents, and contact details, verified against Aflac primary sources. Bring it to the branch or keep it beside the phone.
Aflac estate support
Policyholder Services (PHS)
Phone
Aflac New York Policy Services (Albany, NY) Fax
Aflac New York Policy Services
Fax
Hours
Mailing address
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