Estate planning at Americo
How to protect 14 Americo accounts — fund a trust by mail, and file death claims
Policyholder Services
Americo Financial Life and Annuity Insurance Company, PO Box 410288, Kansas City, MO 64141-0288
Policyholder Services
Americo Financial Life and Annuity Insurance Company, PO Box 410288, Kansas City, MO 64141-0288
Claims Department
Americo Financial Life and Annuity Insurance Company, PO Box 410288, Kansas City, MO 64141-0288 (regular) / 300 W. 11th Street, Kansas City, MO 64105 (overnight)
Americo is a insurance company with 14 products relevant to estate planning. Life insurance and annuity proceeds transfer directly to named beneficiaries outside of probate, making beneficiary designations one of the most important estate planning steps for Americo policyholders.
Managing beneficiaries at Americo is straightforward—changes can be made by mail, typically taking 15-30 minutes to complete; processing time varies. Trust funding is also available, allowing families to name a trust as the policy beneficiary or establish an irrevocable life insurance trust (ILIT).
Americo provides specific procedures for both proactive estate planning and filing claims after a death.
Preparing your estate
Beneficiaries and trust funding
How to fund a trust by mail, and review 14 account types at Americo.
View details →When someone dies
Death claim process
5-step process, 6 required documents, and contact information for survivors.
View details →Frequently asked questions
Non-qualified annuity contracts, such as the Platinum Assure Series MYGAs, can be transferred to trust ownership using the Ownership Change Request form (Form 18-162-2). A Certificate of Trust or relevant trust pages and the trust EIN are required. Transferring ownership of a non-qualified annuity to a trust may result in a taxable event, and a trust owner generally loses tax deferral under IRC 72(u). Naming a trust as beneficiary rather than owner is a common alternative that avoids immediate tax consequences.
Download the Beneficiary Change Request form (Form 18-164-1) from the Americo website or call 800-231-0801 to request one. Complete the form with primary and contingent beneficiary details including full legal names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, and relationship to owner. Only the policy owner may change the beneficiary. If the owner is a trust, the trustee(s) must sign with their title(s). Submit the completed form by email (forms@americo.com), fax (800-395-9238), or mail to PO Box 410288, Kansas City, MO 64141-0288. A notary is highly recommended; if the form is not notarized and signatures do not appear to match, Americo may require notarization before processing.
Complete the Ownership Change Request form (Form 18-162-2), available on the Americo website or by calling 800-231-0801. Designate the trust as the new policy owner and provide the trust name, trust date, trustee name(s), and trust EIN. Include a Certificate of Trust or relevant trust pages and trustee government-issued identification. Submit by email (forms@americo.com), fax (800-395-9238), or mail. Life insurance policies can be assigned to an Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust (ILIT), and non-qualified annuities can be owned by a trust. Transferring ownership of a non-qualified annuity may result in a taxable event.
Sources
Data sourced from Americo primary sources (22 pages reviewed). How we research.
Policyholder Services
Americo Financial Life and Annuity Insurance Company, PO Box 410288, Kansas City, MO 64141-0288
Policyholder Services
Americo Financial Life and Annuity Insurance Company, PO Box 410288, Kansas City, MO 64141-0288
Claims Department
Americo Financial Life and Annuity Insurance Company, PO Box 410288, Kansas City, MO 64141-0288 (regular) / 300 W. 11th Street, Kansas City, MO 64105 (overnight)
Estate planning articles
Learn how to protect your Americo accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
