How to name beneficiaries and fund a trust at VALIC
Covers 4 insurance accounts — beneficiaries can be managed online
Brand change
AIG spun off its Life and Retirement business as Corebridge Financial, and the AIG Retirement Services / VALIC consumer brand now operates as Corebridge Financial; valic.com redirects to corebridgefinancial.com/rs. Corebridge's own name-change page confirms that The Variable Annuity Life Insurance Company (VALIC) remains the legal entity that issues the annuities, alongside VALIC Financial Advisors, Inc. (VFA) and VALIC Retirement Services Company (VRSCO), all wholly owned subsidiaries of Corebridge Financial, Inc. Existing VALIC contracts, contract numbers, and the myaccount.valic.com login are unchanged; the contacts and procedures below reflect the Corebridge Retirement Services operation that services them.
VALIC is now part of Corebridge Financial. The procedures below reflect VALIC's accounts during the transition. View the Corebridge Financial estate planning page.
Corebridge Retirement Services
Corebridge Retirement Services, P.O. Box 15648, Amarillo, TX 79105-5648 (Overnight: 1050 N. Western St., Amarillo, TX 79106-7011)
Corebridge Retirement Services
Corebridge Retirement Services, P.O. Box 15648, Amarillo, TX 79105-5648 (Overnight: 1050 N. Western St., Amarillo, TX 79106-7011)
Death Claims
Corebridge Retirement Services, P.O. Box 15648, Amarillo, TX 79105-5648 (Overnight: 1050 N. Western St., Amarillo, TX 79106-7011)
For VALIC policyholders, estate planning comes down to one critical step: making sure the right beneficiaries are named on every policy. Insurance proceeds bypass probate entirely and go directly to whoever is listed—regardless of what a will says. When estate tax planning or controlled distributions are a factor, a trust can be named as beneficiary instead.
VALIC has 4 policies with different estate transfer rules. Here is how beneficiary designations, trust ownership, and probate apply to each one.
- Enter beneficiary name, relationship, date of birth, and percentage allocation
- For trusts: enter trust name, trust date, and Tax Identification Number (TIN)
Required Documents
- Trust name, date established, and tax ID (EIN or SSN)
Special Requirements
- Trusts, estates, and charities can be named as beneficiaries
- Primary and contingent beneficiaries allowed
- Beneficiary designations override will provisions
- Death benefit: greater of account value or Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit (GMDB)
- Certain ERISA plans require spousal consent when naming a non-spouse beneficiary; spouse signature must be witnessed by Plan Administrator or Notary Public
- Only unassigned beneficiaries can be deleted online
- Minor beneficiaries require a custodian designation under the state Uniform Transfers (Gifts) To Minors Act
- Review beneficiary elections at least every 12-18 months and after major life events
- Trusts named as beneficiaries are treated as non-designated beneficiaries, affecting distribution timelines
Sources
Data sourced from VALIC primary sources (15 pages reviewed). How we research.
Download these VALIC instructions
Download instructions for the whole estateA printable PDF with the steps, required documents, and contact details — verified against VALIC primary sources. Bring it to the branch or keep it beside the phone.
Corebridge Retirement Services
Corebridge Retirement Services, P.O. Box 15648, Amarillo, TX 79105-5648 (Overnight: 1050 N. Western St., Amarillo, TX 79106-7011)
Corebridge Retirement Services
Corebridge Retirement Services, P.O. Box 15648, Amarillo, TX 79105-5648 (Overnight: 1050 N. Western St., Amarillo, TX 79106-7011)
Death Claims
Corebridge Retirement Services, P.O. Box 15648, Amarillo, TX 79105-5648 (Overnight: 1050 N. Western St., Amarillo, TX 79106-7011)
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