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How to protect 19 Ascend FCU accounts — manage beneficiaries in-branch, fund a trust in-branch, and file death claims
Member Services
PO Box 1210, Tullahoma, TN 37388
Member Services
PO Box 1210, Tullahoma, TN 37388
Death Claims
Ascend Federal Credit Union, PO Box 1210, Tullahoma, TN 37388
Ascend FCU is a credit union offering 19 accounts that interact with estate planning in different ways. As a membership-based credit union, Ascend FCU headquartered in Tullahoma, Tennessee. 27 branches across Middle Tennessee including Nashville, Murfreesboro, Franklin, Columbia, Shelbyville, McMinnville, Cookeville, and surrounding communities. Fee-free access to over 55,000 ATMs worldwide through the AllPoint Network. Understanding how each account transfers at death—and which ones a trust can hold—helps families avoid probate delays and unintended outcomes.
Ascend FCU handles beneficiary designations in branch, by mail, and by phone. Accounts can also be retitled into a trust to keep them out of probate entirely.
Ascend FCU provides specific procedures for both proactive estate planning and filing claims after a death.
Preparing your estate
How to update beneficiaries in-branch, fund a trust in-branch, and review 19 account types at Ascend FCU.
View details →When someone dies
11-step process, 5 required documents, and contact information for survivors.
View details →Ascend FCU operates in select states, so estate planning procedures may vary by location. Confirm availability in your state before initiating trust funding or account changes.
Visit any of Ascend's 27 branch locations, call 800-342-3086 (available 24/7), or request a beneficiary form by mail. Online beneficiary designation is not currently available. You will need to provide beneficiary details including full name, date of birth, Social Security number, and relationship. For IRA accounts, ask for an IRA/Certificate Support Representative.
Yes. Visit any Ascend branch with your trust document (or Certificate of Trust), government-issued photo ID for all trustees, and the trust EIN or SSN. You will need to complete new account paperwork in the trust name. Existing accounts may need to be closed and reopened under the trust title. IRA accounts cannot be retitled to a trust but can name a trust as beneficiary. Investment accounts through LPL Financial are handled separately -- contact Ascend Retirement & Investment Services at 931-454-2967.
Yes. Ascend Retirement & Investment Services (ARISe) offers financial guidance through LPL Financial (FINRA/SIPC member). Services include brokerage accounts, Guided Wealth Portfolios (starting at $5,000 with low-cost ETFs and daily monitoring), annuities, and retirement planning. Advisors follow a fiduciary standard in advisory relationships. Contact 931-454-2967 to schedule a no-cost, no-obligation appointment. These products are not NCUA insured.
IRAs cannot be retitled to a trust. However, you may name a trust as the beneficiary of your IRA at Ascend. Consult a tax advisor before doing so, as naming a trust as IRA beneficiary can have significant tax implications for distribution timelines and required minimum distributions. Contact Ascend at 800-342-3086 and ask for an IRA/Certificate Support Representative for specific procedures.
Ascend offers Traditional, Roth, SEP, and Rollover IRA accounts. Additionally, IRA Certificates combine the guaranteed dividends of a certificate with IRA tax advantages, available in fixed-rate and variable-rate (IRA Accumulation) options. For members age 59-1/2 or older or who are disabled, a one-time per calendar year movement of an IRA certificate is allowed. Call 800-342-3086 and ask for an IRA/Certificate Support Representative for details.
Ascend offers three checking accounts: High-Yield Checking (earns 3.04% APY on balances up to $15,000), Rewards Checking (10 cents cash back on qualifying debit purchases), and Free Checking (no fees, no dividends). You can only hold one of High-Yield or Rewards Checking at a time. All checking accounts are eligible for POD beneficiary designation and trust retitling.
Member Services
PO Box 1210, Tullahoma, TN 37388
Member Services
PO Box 1210, Tullahoma, TN 37388
Death Claims
Ascend Federal Credit Union, PO Box 1210, Tullahoma, TN 37388
Tools and documents to help protect your Ascend FCU accounts.
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