How to designate beneficiaries at Alto IRA
Beneficiaries are managed online
Estate planning for Alto IRA 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.
Each of Alto IRA's 5 retirement accounts has different rules for how it transfers at death. The sections below explain the options for each.
- Enter the beneficiary name exactly as it should read (64-character limit; email help@altoira.com if the full legal name or trust name is longer)
- For a revocable living trust, enter the trust's exact name and date
- Fill out the remaining required details and select Save
Required Documents
- Beneficiary's name, exactly as it should read. The name field takes up to 64 characters. Alto enters a longer name, including a long trust name, on request by email
- Exact legal name and date of the trust (when naming a trust)
- Trust agreement or certification of trust (when naming a trust). Provided to Alto for the custodian's file. Either a revocable living trust agreement or a certification of trust is taken
- Successor trustee name and contact information (when naming a trust)
- Enter the beneficiary name exactly as it should read (64-character limit; email help@altoira.com if the full legal name or trust name is longer)
- For a revocable living trust, enter the trust's exact name and date
- Fill out the remaining required details and select Save
Required Documents
- Beneficiary's name, exactly as it should read. The name field takes up to 64 characters. Alto enters a longer name, including a long trust name, on request by email
- Exact legal name and date of the trust (when naming a trust)
- Trust agreement or certification of trust (when naming a trust). Provided to Alto for the custodian's file. Either a revocable living trust agreement or a certification of trust is taken
- Successor trustee name and contact information (when naming a trust)
- Enter the beneficiary name exactly as it should read (64-character limit; email help@altoira.com if the full legal name or trust name is longer)
- For a revocable living trust, enter the trust's exact name and date
- Fill out the remaining required details and select Save
Required Documents
- Beneficiary's name, exactly as it should read. The name field takes up to 64 characters. Alto enters a longer name, including a long trust name, on request by email
- Exact legal name and date of the trust (when naming a trust)
- Trust agreement or certification of trust (when naming a trust). Provided to Alto for the custodian's file. Either a revocable living trust agreement or a certification of trust is taken
- Successor trustee name and contact information (when naming a trust)
What Alto IRA says about beneficiaries and trusts
Each section is Alto IRA's own statement, with the document it comes from numbered under Sources.
Who can be named1
- A trust, IRAs
A revocable living trust can be named as the primary beneficiary of an Alto IRA. A trust receives an Alto IRA only as a named beneficiary at death.1
How many beneficiaries, and how shares are split
- All accounts
Both primary and contingent beneficiaries can be named on an Alto IRA.1
What Alto IRA's agreement says about beneficiaries1
- Changing or revoking a designation
Alto's Custodian Account Agreement provides that beneficiaries are changed or added "by completing such beneficiary designation form or process as provided by the Administrator," which is the dashboard flow.3
What Alto IRA says about trust accounts1
- Whether a new account is opened
Alto holds only IRAs, and an Alto IRA cannot be retitled into a revocable living trust during the owner's lifetime, so there is nothing at Alto to retitle.2
Not in Alto IRA's published guidance1
- Which trust documents it accepts
Sources
Data sourced from Alto IRA primary sources (17 pages reviewed). How we research.
Download these Alto IRA instructions
Download instructions for the whole estateA printable PDF with the steps, required documents, and contact details — verified against Alto IRA primary sources. Bring it to the branch or keep it beside the phone.
Alto IRA estate support
Alto Trust Co. (IRA custodian of record)
Hours
Mailing address
Website
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