Preparing your Associated Bank accounts for estate transfer involves two primary strategies: designating beneficiaries on individual accounts and, where supported, retitling accounts into a revocable living trust. Both approaches bypass probate, but they work differently depending on the account type.

With 17 product types, Associated Bank offers a range of transfer options. Some accounts support Payable on Death (POD) designations, others can be retitled into a trust, and some require probate if no beneficiary is designated. The sections below break down each step.

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1Visit an Associated Bank branch location with government-issued photo ID

2Request a POD (Payable on Death) beneficiary designation form from your banker

3Provide beneficiary full legal name, date of birth, and Social Security number

4Specify percentage allocation if naming multiple beneficiaries

5All account holders must sign the form to add, change, or remove POD beneficiaries

6Retain a copy of the completed form for your records

Required Documents

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

Special Requirements

Signatures of all account holders required to add, change, or remove POD beneficiaries
An agent (power of attorney) cannot modify POD beneficiaries unless the agency document clearly authorizes the agent to exercise testamentary powers
Beneficiaries must be living to claim funds
If multiple POD beneficiaries are named, funds belong to surviving beneficiaries equally unless otherwise specified on the form
POD beneficiaries have no ownership interest in the account until all account holders are deceased
Named beneficiaries override instructions in a will