How to name beneficiaries and fund a trust at Ally Invest

Covers 7 investment, and 8 retirement accounts at Ally Invest

Ally Invest

Subsidiary of Ally Financial Inc.

ally.com/invest
Ally Invest logo

Ally Invest Customer Service

Fax866-699-0563
Mailing Address

Ally Invest Securities, PO Box 30248, Charlotte, NC 28230

Ally Invest Personal Advice
Ally Bank (deposit accounts and Ally Bank IRAs)
International Callers

Ally Invest Securities

Fax866-699-0563
Mailing Address

Ally Invest Securities, PO Box 30248, Charlotte, NC 28230 (overnight: 601 S Tryon St., Suite 100, Charlotte, NC 28202)

Ally Invest Securities

Fax866-699-0563
Mailing Address

Ally Invest Securities, PO Box 30248, Charlotte, NC 28230 (overnight: 601 S Tryon St., Suite 100, Charlotte, NC 28202)

Ally Bank Deposit Operations (bank accounts only)
Verified Jul 2026

Estate planning for your Ally Invest investment accounts starts with understanding how each one transfers at death. Beneficiary designations and trust retitling both bypass probate, but the right approach depends on the account type, your tax situation, and how much control you want over distributions.

Ally Invest has 15 product types, and the estate transfer rules differ across them. Some support Transfer on Death (TOD) designations, some can be retitled into a trust, and others will require probate if nothing is set up. Each is covered below.

Self-Directed Trading Individual BrokerageSelf-Directed Trading Joint BrokerageRobo Portfolios IndividualRobo Portfolios JointPersonal Advice (Wealth Management)Self-Directed Trading Custodial AccountRobo Portfolios Custodial Account
1
Download the TOD Beneficiary Designation Request for a brokerage or Robo Portfolios account, or the IRA Beneficiary Designation Request for an IRA
2
Complete the form:
  • Account holder name, account number, date of birth, and Social Security number
  • Mark whether this is an original TOD or a change to an existing TOD
  • Beneficiary name, share, relationship, SSN or taxpayer ID, and date of birth — shares must total 100%, no fractional percentages or dollar amounts
  • To name a trust: trust name, names of all trustees, and the date the trust was established
3
Signatures and consent:
  • All account holders sign — on a joint account both owners must sign
  • IRA in a community property state naming a non-spouse primary beneficiary: complete the Spousal Consent section, signed by the spouse and a witness and notarized
4
Submit by upload after logging in (Investments, then Document Upload), fax to 866-699-0563 (subject line: TOD Beneficiary Request), or mail to Ally Invest Securities, PO Box 30248, Charlotte, NC 28230 (overnight: Ally Invest Securities, 601 S Tryon St., Suite 100, Charlotte, NC 28202)

Required Documents

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

Special Requirements

  • No online self-service beneficiary management — paper forms only, for both brokerage and IRA accounts
  • A TOD designation may not be revoked or changed by will, codicil, trust document, or other testamentary document; only a new TOD Beneficiary Designation Request supersedes a prior one, and no change is effective until Ally Invest actually receives and accepts it
  • TOD designations are subject to receipt and acceptance by Apex Clearing Corporation, are not available to residents of all jurisdictions, and Apex reserves the right to refuse or terminate a TOD designation at any time
  • If a primary beneficiary predeceases the owner, their share is paid pro rata to the surviving primary beneficiaries; if no primary or contingent beneficiary survives, the assets pass as if the TOD instructions did not exist
  • By signing the TOD form the owner, their estate, heirs, spouse, successors, and every named beneficiary agree to indemnify Ally Invest and Apex against claims arising out of the registration and the transfers under it
  • Community property states: notarized spousal consent (spouse plus witness signature) is required to name a non-spouse primary beneficiary on an IRA
  • Uploads accept PDF, GIF, JPG, TIFF, and PNG, 2MB maximum per file
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Sources

Data sourced from Ally Invest primary sources (15 pages reviewed). How we research.

Download these Ally Invest instructions

Download instructions for the whole estate

A printable PDF with the steps, required documents, and contact details — verified against Ally Invest primary sources. Bring it to the branch or keep it beside the phone.

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