How to name beneficiaries and fund a trust at Allstate
Beneficiaries are managed online, in branch, by phone or by mail. Trust paperwork is taken in branch, by phone or by mail
For Allstate 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.
Across 26 product types, Allstate 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 Allstate
Change of Beneficiary (SVC-102-PL, rev. 09/25) (for life insurance policys).
Open the form →- Print full names, addresses, relationships to the insured, SSN or Tax ID, and date of birth
- For a trust, the trust's Tax ID goes in the SSN/Tax ID field and the trust date in the "Date of Birth/Trust Date" field
- Every change must designate a primary beneficiary, even when you only mean to change the contingent
- Use percentages totaling 100 in the primary section and 100 in the contingent section; five primary and five contingent slots are printed
- More than five requires an attached spreadsheet carrying the same details
- Complete the form in black ink and have the owner's signature witnessed by a disinterested party of legal age
- Full legal names, addresses, dates of birth, Social Security or Tax ID numbers, phone numbers, and relationships to the insured
- Percentage allocations totaling 100 in each of the primary and contingent sections; five slots each, with a spreadsheet attached if you need more
- For trusts: the full legal trust name exactly as it appears in the trust document, the trust Tax ID in the SSN/Tax ID field, and the trust date in the "Date of Birth/Trust Date" field
- For a minor: use the form's prescribed custodian wording under the Uniform Transfers to Minors Act; only one custodian per minor beneficiary is allowed
- For individual life insurance and annuity policies (underwritten by Protective Life): call Protective Life policy service at 800-866-9933 (Monday-Friday, 7:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. CT)
- For Allstate general customer service: call 800-255-7828
- Policy number, insured(s), and owner(s) at the top of page 1
- Primary beneficiaries with full names, addresses, Social Security or Tax ID numbers, relationships, phone numbers, dates of birth, and percentages totaling 100
- Contingent beneficiaries with their own percentages totaling 100
- Every change must restate a primary beneficiary even if you only want to change the contingent
- For trusts: the full legal trust name, the trust Tax ID, and the trust date in the "Date of Birth/Trust Date" field
Required Documents
- Each beneficiary's full name
- Each beneficiary's address
- Each beneficiary's relationship to the insured
- Each beneficiary's Social Security or Tax ID number
- Each beneficiary's date of birth
- Each beneficiary's phone number
- Trust's full legal name, Tax ID and trust date (when naming a trust). The name exactly as it appears in the trust document; the Tax ID goes in the SSN/Tax ID field and the trust date in the "Date of Birth/Trust Date" field
- Trust address and at least one trustee's name and current address (when naming a trust)
- Policy number, insured(s) and owner(s)
- Government-issued identification (when visiting an Allstate agent)
- Change of Beneficiary form SVC-102-PL, all four pages (for a change on the paper form). A partial return is not processed
- Certificate of Trust or excerpted trust pages (when the policy is already owned by a trust). Either the Certificate of Trust, or the trust's title, trustee, co-trustee and successor-trustee, trustee-rights, policy-related and signature pages
- All pages of the power of attorney, guardianship or conservatorship document (when someone signs under one)
- Full legal trust name exactly as it appears in the trust document
- The trust Tax ID and the trust date
- Trust address and at least one trustee's name and current address
- Copy of the Certificate of Trust, or the trust's title page, trustee pages, trustee-rights pages, any pages about the policy, and the signature page
- Full legal trust name and trust address
- Trustee name(s) and address(es)
- Date established and trust EIN
- Full legal trust name exactly as it appears in the trust document
- Trust address and at least one trustee's name and address
- Date the trust was established and the trust EIN
- Copy of the Certificate of Trust or trust documentation
Required Documents
- Ownership change form, completed (for a transfer to an ILIT)
- Certificate of Trust or excerpted trust pages. Either the Certificate of Trust, or the title page, trustee, co-trustee and successor-trustee pages, trustee rights, pages about the life insurance policy and the signature page
- Trust name, trust address, trust date and trust Tax ID
- Trustee names and current addresses
- Trust Tax ID documentation. IRS Letter 147C or SS-4 confirmation
- Trustee identification documents
- Policy number and insured information
- Signature of a disinterested witness of legal age. Signs alongside the owner's signature
What Allstate says about beneficiaries and trusts
Each section is Allstate's own statement, with the document it comes from numbered under Sources.
Which accounts take a beneficiary1
- Annuity
For a trust designation on an annuity, Allstate directs the owner to their Allstate agent for the specific requirements.1
Who can be named2
- A trust
A revocable or irrevocable trust can be named as the policy beneficiary.1
- A minor
A minor can be named through a custodian in the form's wording: "(Name of Custodian) as custodian for (Name of Minor Child) under the (state in which child resides) Uniform Transfers to Minors Act". Only one custodian per minor beneficiary is allowed.2
How many beneficiaries, and how shares are split
- All accounts
Percentages total 100 in the primary section and 100 in the contingent section. The form prints five primary and five contingent slots; more than five needs an attached spreadsheet carrying the same details.2
If no percentages are indicated, payment is made in equal shares to the surviving primary beneficiaries.2
What a designation takes to be effective
- All accounts
Only the policy owners may sign, in black ink, and a disinterested witness of legal age signs too. An assignee of the policy does not have to sign. A corporation, partnership, association or company owner signs through an officer other than the insured, who states their title.2
Someone signing under a power of attorney, guardianship or conservatorship signs their own name with their title after it. In community property states Protective recommends, but does not require, that the owner's spouse join in signing "for the protection of both parties".2
Beneficiary forms Allstate issues1
- Change of Beneficiary (SVC-102-PL, rev. 09/25)
For life insurance policys. Completed by the policy owner. Available to download.2
Return to
Email: service@protective.com
Fax: 1-205-268-3402
Mailing address: Protective Life Insurance Company, Life and Health Insurance Administration, P.O. Box 12687, Birmingham, AL 35202-6687
What Allstate's agreement says about beneficiaries5
- A designation and a will
Beneficiary designations override instructions in a will.1
- No beneficiary survives
If no primary beneficiary survives, proceeds go to the contingent beneficiaries. If no contingent survives either, they go to "the executors, administrators, or assigns of the owner."2
- Changing or revoking a designation
Every change must designate a primary beneficiary, even when only the contingent beneficiary is being changed.2
- A minor as beneficiary
Naming a minor directly can make the death benefit wait for a court-appointed guardian of the minor's estate. The form recommends considering a trust or a UTMA custodian instead and prints the exact custodian wording to use.2
- Who signs for the trust
When the policy is owned by a trust, all applicable trustees sign the beneficiary change.2
Which accounts a trust can hold1
- Life insurance policy
An irrevocable life insurance trust can own an Allstate life policy, which Protective Life underwrites: the trustee can apply for a new policy as owner, or an existing policy can be transferred to the trust through an ownership change form.1
Trust account forms Allstate issues1
- Ownership change form
For life insurance policys. Completed by the policy owner. Sent by the institution on request.3
Return to
Mailing address: Protective Life Insurance Company, P.O. Box 12687, Birmingham, AL 35202-6687
What Allstate says about trust accounts1
- A trust as owner of a policy
Allstate does not set up irrevocable life insurance trusts.1
Accounts handled elsewhere2
- Protective Life Insurance Company
Underwrites the life and annuity policies sold through Allstate agents; runs its own online beneficiary portal4
Phone: 1-800-866-9933
Email: service@protective.com
Fax: 1-205-268-3402
Hours: Monday-Friday 7:00 AM-5:00 PM CT
Mailing address: Protective Life Insurance Company, Life and Health Insurance Administration, P.O. Box 12687, Birmingham, AL 35202-6687
- American Heritage Life Insurance Company (The Standard)
Beneficiary changes on Allstate Benefits group certificates, on the Beneficiary Change Request (ABJ040-5)5
Phone: 1-800-521-3535
Fax: 1-866-428-2517
Mailing address: American Heritage Life Insurance Company, 4920 San Pablo Road S, Suite 200C, Jacksonville, FL 32224
Not in Allstate's published guidance1
- Processing turnaround for a beneficiary change
Sources5
- 1.Allstate guidance on trusts and life insurance
- 2.Change of Beneficiary (SVC-102-PL), rev. 09/25
- 3.Ownership change form
- 4.Protective beneficiary self-service
- 5.American Heritage Life resources and forms
Sources
Show 4 more sourcesShow fewer sources
Data sourced from Allstate primary sources (48 pages reviewed). How we research.
Download these Allstate instructions
Download instructions for the whole estateA printable PDF with the steps, required documents, and contact details — verified against Allstate primary sources. Bring it to the branch or keep it beside the phone.
Allstate estate support
Protective Life Policy Service (Life and Health Insurance Administration)
Phone
Variable Life Insurance Service
Annuity Customer Service
MONY Life
Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America
Immediate Benefit Account
Liberty/Lincoln-issued policies
Legacy Allstate Life policy (now Everlake, serviced by TAG)
Legacy Allstate Life of New York policy (now Wilton Re)
Fax
Hours
Mailing address
Website
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