How to name beneficiaries and fund a trust at Ameris Bank
Beneficiaries are managed in branch or by phone. Trust paperwork is taken in branch
The key to protecting your Ameris Bank accounts is making sure each one has a transfer mechanism in place—either a beneficiary designation or trust ownership. Without one, the account goes through probate, adding time, cost, and court involvement for your family.
Ameris Bank has 19 product types, and the estate transfer rules differ across them. Some support Payable on Death (POD) designations, some can be retitled into a trust, and others pass through the estate if nothing is set up. Each is covered below.
Beneficiary form at Ameris Bank
Signature card or beneficiary designation.
- Full legal name, date of birth, Social Security Number, and relationship
- Percentage allocation if naming multiple beneficiaries
Required Documents
- Beneficiary's full legal name
- Beneficiary's date of birth
- Beneficiary's Social Security number
- Beneficiary's relationship to you
- Percentage allocation for each beneficiary (when naming more than one beneficiary)
- Government-issued photo ID (at a branch)
- Trust agreement or Certification of Trust
- Trust tax identification number (EIN, or the grantor's SSN for a revocable trust)
Required Documents
- Trust agreement or Certification of Trust
- Government-issued photo ID (for each trustee)
- Trust tax identification number. An EIN, or the grantor's SSN for a revocable grantor trust
- Full legal name, date of birth, Social Security Number, and relationship
- Percentage allocation if naming multiple beneficiaries
Required Documents
- Beneficiary's full legal name
- Beneficiary's date of birth
- Beneficiary's Social Security number
- Beneficiary's relationship to you
- Percentage allocation for each beneficiary (when naming more than one beneficiary)
- Government-issued photo ID (at a branch)
What Ameris Bank says about beneficiaries and trusts
Each section is Ameris Bank's own statement, with the document it comes from numbered under Sources.
Which accounts take a beneficiary3
- IRA
IRA beneficiary designations are handled on the IRA paperwork, separately from deposit-account POD designations. Ameris IRAs are opened in branch rather than online.1
- Health savings account
The HSA is a branch-only product, so its beneficiary paperwork is done in person.1
- Coverdell education savings account
The Coverdell ESA is a branch-only product, so its beneficiary paperwork is done in person.1
Who can be named1
- A trust, IRAs
A trust can be named as the beneficiary of an IRA.1
How many beneficiaries, and how shares are split
- All accounts
When more than one beneficiary is named, the owner gives a percentage allocation.1
Beneficiary forms Ameris Bank issues1
- Signature card or beneficiary designation
Completed by the account owner, with the banker. Provided at a branch.1
State requirements Ameris Bank statesVirginia, Maryland, Tennessee
Which accounts a trust can hold2
What Ameris Bank says about trust accounts1
- Online access
The Consumer Online Service Agreement makes "certain fiduciary accounts" ineligible for external funds transfers, so a trust-titled account may lose the external-transfer function an individually titled account has.2
Accounts handled elsewhere1
- Argent Financial Group
Trust and wealth management: Ameris sold this division to Argent at the close of 20223
Not in Ameris Bank's published guidance4
- A beneficiary form to download
- Beneficiary designation page or FAQ
- Deposit account agreement
- Online or mailed trust retitling procedure
Sources3
- 1.Contact us
- 2.Consumer Online Service Agreement
- 3.Argent Financial Group
Sources
Data sourced from Ameris Bank primary sources (25 pages reviewed). How we research.
Download these Ameris Bank instructions
Download instructions for the whole estateA printable PDF with the steps, required documents, and contact details — verified against Ameris Bank primary sources. Bring it to the branch or keep it beside the phone.
Ameris Bank estate support
Trust & Estate Services (Argent Trust Company)
Phone
Website
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