Estate planning for Alight retirement retirement accounts revolves around beneficiary designations. These designations—not a will—control who receives the account balance at death. For IRAs and employer-sponsored plans, the beneficiary designation also determines the tax treatment of inherited distributions, making it a decision with both legal and financial implications.

Alight offers 7 retirement accounts, each with its own transfer rules. The sections below cover how to set up beneficiaries, fund a trust, and which products support each approach.

Self-Directed Brokerage Account (SDBA)

1Go to alight.com/find-your-hr-website and search for your employer

2Log in to your Alight Worklife portal (or use the Alight Mobile app)

3Navigate to retirement account settings or beneficiaries section

4Add or update primary and contingent beneficiaries

5For trust beneficiaries: enter trust name, date of trust, and Trust EIN

6Specify percentage allocations if naming multiple beneficiaries

7Review and confirm your beneficiary designations

Online Portal →

Required Documents

Trust name, date established, and tax ID (EIN or SSN)

Special Requirements

Trusts can be named as beneficiaries per plan documents
Spousal consent required for ERISA-covered plans (401(k), pension) when naming a non-spouse beneficiary
Contact information is employer-specific; use alight.com/find-your-hr-website to find your plan's service center
Beneficiary designations override wills and other estate documents
Alight Mobile app (iOS and Android) also supports beneficiary management for some plans