Estate planning with Allianz Life 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.

With 16 product types, Allianz Life offers a range of transfer options. Some policies support beneficiary designations, others can be retitled into a trust, and some require probate if no beneficiary is designated. The sections below break down each step.

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1Log in to your account at allianzlife.com

2Navigate to "Personal Accounts"

3Select the contract or policy you want to update

4Follow the on-screen prompts to update beneficiary designations

5Submit the changes electronically

Online Portal →

Required Documents

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

Special Requirements

Trusts can be named as primary or contingent beneficiaries
Trust beneficiary designation requires trust name, trust date, and EIN
Additional documents required for: minors, trusts, estates, foreign beneficiaries, qualified plans
Primary and contingent beneficiaries allowed with percentage allocations
Claims not filed within certain timeframe are considered unclaimed property per state requirements