How to name beneficiaries and fund a trust at Beacon Bank
Beneficiaries are managed in branch or by phone. Trust paperwork is taken in branch
Beacon Bank has merged with another institutionMerged, effective September 2025
Brookline Bank is now Beacon Bank & Trust. Brookline Bancorp and Berkshire Hills Bancorp completed a merger of equals on September 1, 2025 to form Beacon Financial Corporation (NYSE: BBT); the next day, September 2, 2025, the FDIC recorded the legal name change of the Brookline Bank charter (CERT 17798) to Beacon Bank and Trust and consolidated Berkshire Bank, Bank Rhode Island, and PCSB Bank into it. Branch signage and account documents converted to the single Beacon Bank brand on February 9, 2026. Because the Brookline charter is the surviving one, legacy Brookline accounts, account numbers, and the 211371489 routing number were never reissued.
The key to protecting your Beacon 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.
With 24 product types, Beacon 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.
Beneficiary form at Beacon Bank
Retirement or health-account beneficiary form.
- Full legal name and identifying information for each beneficiary
- Percentage allocations if naming multiple beneficiaries
- For IRA, IRA CD, IRA Savings and HSA accounts, complete the separate beneficiary designation paperwork
Required Documents
- Full legal name and identifying information for each beneficiary
- Valid government-issued photo ID (at a branch)
- Separate beneficiary designation paperwork, completed (for an IRA, IRA CD, IRA Savings or HSA)
- Complete trust agreement or Certificate of Trust
- Government-issued photo ID for all trustees
- Trust tax identification number (EIN) if applicable
Required Documents
- Trust agreement or Certificate of Trust. The full trust agreement or a Certificate of Trust is accepted
- Government-issued photo ID (for all trustees)
- Trust tax identification number (EIN) (if applicable)
- Account retitling authorization form. Provided by the bank
- Full legal name and identifying information for each beneficiary
- Percentage allocations if naming multiple beneficiaries
- For IRA, IRA CD, IRA Savings and HSA accounts, complete the separate beneficiary designation paperwork
Required Documents
- Full legal name and identifying information for each beneficiary
- Valid government-issued photo ID (at a branch)
- Separate beneficiary designation paperwork, completed (for an IRA, IRA CD, IRA Savings or HSA)
What Beacon Bank says about beneficiaries and trusts
Each section is Beacon Bank's own statement, with the document it comes from numbered under Sources.
Which accounts take a beneficiary3
- Payable-on-death account
A Relationship Savings or Relationship Money Market account depends on the holder being primary owner of a Checking Plus or Premium Checking account, so restructuring accounts can change which accounts a POD designation applies to.1
- IRA
IRA, IRA CD and IRA Savings beneficiary designations are handled on separate retirement-account paperwork. A deposit-account POD designation does not reach these accounts.1
- Health savings account
HSA beneficiary designations are handled on separate health-account paperwork. A deposit-account POD designation does not reach an HSA.1
Who can be named1
How many beneficiaries, and how shares are split
- All accounts
Primary and contingent beneficiaries can be named, with percentage allocations when naming more than one beneficiary.1
What a designation takes to be effective
- All accounts
Beneficiary changes are executed on signed account documentation, normally in a branch.1
Beneficiary forms Beacon Bank issues1
- Retirement or health-account beneficiary form
Completed by the account owner. Sent by the institution on request.1
What Beacon Bank's agreement says about beneficiaries1
- Joint accounts
Joint account holders may need to agree on beneficiary designations.1
Which accounts a trust can hold3
Trust account forms Beacon Bank issues1
- Account retitling authorization form
Completed by the trustee, with a banker. Provided at a branch.2
What Beacon Bank says about trust accounts1
- Certificates moved into a trust
The Beacon One CD accepts no additional deposits before maturity and carries an early-withdrawal penalty, so a CD may need to be reissued rather than retitled.2
Accounts handled elsewhere2
- Trust & Estate Services
Trust administration and estate settlement, through the bank's own group3
- Clarendon Private LLC
Private wealth services for Beacon Financial Corporation4
Not in Beacon Bank's published guidance3
- An online way to name a beneficiary
- A beneficiary form to download
- An online or mailed trust-retitling channel
Sources4
Sources
Data sourced from Beacon Bank primary sources (20 pages reviewed). How we research.
Download these Beacon Bank instructions
A printable PDF with the steps, required documents, and contact details, verified against Beacon Bank primary sources. Bring it to the branch or keep it beside the phone.
Beacon Bank estate support
Beacon Bank Trust & Estate Services (trust administration and estate settlement)
Phone
Website
Estate planning articles
Learn how to protect your Beacon Bank accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
Is this your situation?
Get a complete guide for your specific circumstances.
New Baby or Adoption
Your family is growing. Your protection should too. Guardian nominations, trusts for minors, beneficiary updates, and the documents new parents need in place.
Learn more
Marriage
What married couples need in place: one joint trust or two, wills, beneficiary updates, and the spousal rights your state grants you automatically.
Learn more
New Home
How to put your house in a revocable trust: the deed you record, what it does to your mortgage and property taxes, and when a TOD deed is simpler.
Learn more
Retirement
Retirement changes your financial picture. Healthcare directives, beneficiary reviews, long-term care planning, and protecting what you've built.
Learn moreForms for Planning Your Estate
Free forms for planning your estate: a will, living trust, pour-over will, both powers of attorney, living will, and TOD deed.
Revocable Living Trust
Create a revocable living trust to avoid probate, protect privacy, and control asset distribution.
Last Will and Testament
Name your heirs, guardians, and final wishes. Free for every state.
Codicil to a Will
Add, revoke or replace provisions of your will and republish the rest, signed as your state requires for a will.
Tools for Planning Your Estate
Free tools for planning your estate: what a will or trust costs, whether you need a trust or TOD deed, and how documents are signed.
How Much Does a Revocable Living Trust Cost?
Compare revocable living trust costs across providers including online services and attorneys.
How Does SimplyTrust Compare to LegalZoom, Trust & Will, and Other Services?
Compare what it costs to make a trust official across SimplyTrust, LegalZoom, Trust & Will, Rocket Lawyer, and Quicken WillMaker.
Do I Need a Revocable Trust?
Find out if a revocable trust makes sense based on your state, estate value, and family situation.
Trust or Will: Which Costs Less?
Compare the cost of probate vs a trust for your state and estate value.
How Much Is the Federal Gift Tax?
Whether a gift owes federal gift tax, how much of the annual exclusion and lifetime exemption it uses, and whether Form 709 is due.
What Does Estate Planning Actually Cost?
Compare costs across estate planning providers including online services and attorneys.
