How to name beneficiaries and fund a trust at Bank of Hawaii
Beneficiaries are managed in branch or by phone. Trust paperwork is taken in branch
Preparing your Bank of Hawaii 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 25 product types, Bank of Hawaii 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.
No beneficiary form at Bank of Hawaii
Beneficiaries are named in branch or by phone.
- Full legal name
- Date of birth
- Social Security number
- Mailing address
- Relationship to account holder
- Full legal name
- Date of birth
- Social Security number
- Mailing address
- Relationship to account holder
Required Documents
- Beneficiary's full legal name
- Beneficiary's date of birth
- Beneficiary's Social Security number
- Beneficiary's mailing address
- Beneficiary's relationship to the account holder
- Government-issued photo ID (at a branch)
- Full trust agreement, including every amendment, or a Certification of Trust (preferred for privacy)
- Trust tax identification number (EIN, or SSN if the trust is a revocable grantor trust)
Required Documents
- Trust agreement with all amendments, or a Certification of Trust. Either is accepted. A Certification of Trust is preferred for privacy
- Government-issued photo ID (for each trustee)
- Trust tax identification number. An EIN, or the SSN for a revocable trust
- Signature card naming every acting trustee. The account must be opened under the names of all fiduciaries
- Full legal name
- Date of birth
- Social Security number
- Mailing address
- Relationship to account holder
- Full legal name
- Date of birth
- Social Security number
- Mailing address
- Relationship to account holder
Required Documents
- Beneficiary's full legal name
- Beneficiary's date of birth
- Beneficiary's Social Security number
- Beneficiary's mailing address
- Beneficiary's relationship to the account holder
- Government-issued photo ID (at a branch)
- Full trust agreement, including every amendment, or a Certification of Trust (preferred for privacy)
- Trust tax identification number (EIN, or SSN if the trust is a revocable grantor trust)
Required Documents
- Trust agreement with all amendments, or a Certification of Trust. Either is accepted. A Certification of Trust is preferred for privacy
- Government-issued photo ID (for each trustee)
- Trust tax identification number. An EIN, or the SSN for a revocable trust
- Signature card naming every acting trustee. The account must be opened under the names of all fiduciaries
- Full legal name
- Date of birth
- Social Security number
- Mailing address
- Relationship to account holder
- Full legal name
- Date of birth
- Social Security number
- Mailing address
- Relationship to account holder
Required Documents
- Beneficiary's full legal name
- Beneficiary's date of birth
- Beneficiary's Social Security number
- Beneficiary's mailing address
- Beneficiary's relationship to the account holder
- Government-issued photo ID (at a branch)
What Bank of Hawaii says about beneficiaries and trusts
Each section is Bank of Hawaii's own statement, with the document it comes from numbered under Sources.
Which accounts take a beneficiary1
- Payable-on-death account
The payable-on-death designation on a deposit account is the "Voluntary Trust (Totten Trust)" ownership type in the Consumer Deposit Account Agreement, recorded on the account signature card at a branch.1
How many beneficiaries, and how shares are split
- All accounts
A percentage allocation can be specified when naming multiple beneficiaries.2
What a designation takes to be effective
What Bank of Hawaii's agreement says about beneficiaries3
- What the owner keeps while living
Under the Voluntary Trust (Totten Trust) ownership type, the owner keeps full control for life, and the beneficiary is entitled to the funds only after every owner or trustee has died.1
- Changing or revoking a designation
Account owners are responsible for notifying Bank of Hawaii of any change to a beneficiary, and the bank may require a new signature card before the change becomes effective.1
- A designation and a will
Named beneficiaries override the owner's will.2
Which accounts a trust can hold2
- Fiduciary account
A revocable living trust account is opened at a branch under the "Fiduciary Account" ownership type, where the individual opening the account is the trustee and may also be the trustor.1
What Bank of Hawaii says about trust accounts2
- Who signs for the trust
When more than one fiduciary is named, the account must be opened under the names of all of them, but the bank will act on one signature regardless of what the trust instrument requires.1
- Review of the trust document
The bank's survivor guide says a copy of the full trust agreement and any amendments may be required to close or transfer trust accounts after death.5
Accounts handled elsewhere1
- Bankoh Advisors (Cetera Investment Services)
Beneficiary (TOD) designations and trust account setup for investment accounts6
Phone: 1-808-694-8500
Mailing address: 130 Merchant Street, CC 888, Honolulu, HI 96813
Not in Bank of Hawaii's published guidance3
- A beneficiary designation form
- An online way to name a beneficiary
- A trust account form
Sources
(2)·
Data sourced from Bank of Hawaii primary sources (30 pages reviewed). How we research.
Download these Bank of Hawaii instructions
A printable PDF with the steps, required documents, and contact details, verified against Bank of Hawaii primary sources. Bring it to the branch or keep it beside the phone.
Bank of Hawaii estate support
The Private Bank (estate planning, trust services, and financial planning)
Phone
Toll-free
Main office
Bankoh Advisors (Investments)
Hours
Mailing address
Website
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