Estate planning at Avantax
How to protect 13 Avantax accounts — manage beneficiaries in-branch, fund a trust in-branch, and file claims through Avantax's Estate Services (via your Avantax advisor)
Brand change
Cetera Holdings completed its acquisition of Avantax on November 27, 2023. Cetera retained the Avantax brand, legal entities (Avantax Investment Services, Inc. and Avantax Planning Partners, Inc.), core technology, product lineup, and clearing/custody relationships. Avantax now operates as "Avantax by Cetera," a distinct community within Cetera Wealth Services, LLC. Existing account numbers, statements, and the AdviceWorks client portal continue unchanged; account servicing, beneficiary changes, and death claims run through the assigned Avantax financial professional and the applicable clearing firm. Effective November 2023.
The procedures below reflect Avantax's accounts. Account servicing may transfer as the change takes effect.
Cetera Wealth Services Client Support
3200 Olympus Blvd., Suite 100, Dallas, TX 75019
Estate Services (via your Avantax advisor)
3200 Olympus Blvd., Suite 100, Dallas, TX 75019
Death Claims (via your Avantax advisor or Cetera Wealth Services)
3200 Olympus Blvd., Suite 100, Dallas, TX 75019
How your Avantax investment accounts transfer at death depends on how each one is titled and whether a beneficiary is on file. Of those, 12 can name a trust as beneficiary or be retitled into a trust. Getting these details right keeps assets out of probate and ensures they reach the intended recipients.
Avantax lets account holders update beneficiary designations in branch and by mail, typically taking 5-10 business days for processing after form received in good order. Trust funding is also available, allowing families to retitle brokerage accounts into a trust.
Avantax has documented procedures for both preparing accounts during your lifetime and handling claims when an account holder passes away.
Preparing your estate
Beneficiaries and trust funding
How to update beneficiaries in-branch, fund a trust in-branch, and review 13 account types at Avantax.
View details →When someone dies
Death claim process
Contact Avantax's Estate Services (via your Avantax advisor) to file a claim. 5-step process, 10 required documents, and contact information for survivors.
View details →For questions about any of these procedures, contact Avantax's Estate Services (via your Avantax advisor) at 888-406-5444.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Non-retirement accounts (brokerage and advisory) can be retitled to a revocable living trust. Work with your Avantax advisor to complete the Change of Ownership Form and provide trust documentation, including the trust agreement (or key pages), a Certificate of Trust, government-issued ID for all trustees, and IRS Form W-9 for the trust. IRAs and other qualified accounts cannot be retitled to a trust but can name a trust as beneficiary.
Yes. A trust can be named as beneficiary on an Avantax IRA (Traditional, Roth, Rollover, SEP, or SIMPLE). However, naming a trust as IRA beneficiary may limit stretch provisions for heirs under the SECURE Act. IRAs cannot be retitled to a trust. Contact your Avantax advisor to complete an IRA Beneficiary Designation Form and consult a tax advisor regarding the implications of naming a trust as IRA beneficiary.
Sources
Data sourced from Avantax primary sources (17 pages reviewed). How we research.
Cetera Wealth Services Client Support
3200 Olympus Blvd., Suite 100, Dallas, TX 75019
Estate Services (via your Avantax advisor)
3200 Olympus Blvd., Suite 100, Dallas, TX 75019
Death Claims (via your Avantax advisor or Cetera Wealth Services)
3200 Olympus Blvd., Suite 100, Dallas, TX 75019
Estate planning articles
Learn how to protect your Avantax accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
