Estate planning at Bellwether CU
How to protect 16 Bellwether CU accounts — manage beneficiaries in-branch, fund a trust in-branch, and file death claims
Member Support
Bellwether Community Credit Union, 425 Hooksett Road, Manchester, NH 03104
Member Support
Bellwether Community Credit Union, 425 Hooksett Road, Manchester, NH 03104
Member Support (Estate Services)
Bellwether Community Credit Union, 425 Hooksett Road, Manchester, NH 03104
Bellwether CU offers 16 accounts, each with its own rules for what happens when a member dies. As a membership-based credit union, Bellwether CU primary field of membership covers anyone living or working in New Hampshire. Also serves residents of Essex and Middlesex counties in Massachusetts, and communications industry employees in Maine, Massachusetts, and Vermont. Family members of existing members may join regardless of location. Four branch locations in southern New Hampshire: Manchester (headquarters at 425 Hooksett Rd), Nashua (409 Amherst St), Bedford (7 Leavy Dr), and Pelham (155 Bridge St). NMLS #435122. Routing number: 211489478. Some transfer automatically to a named beneficiary, others can be held in a trust, and a few may require probate if no plan is in place.
Account holders can update their beneficiary designations at Bellwether CU in branch and by phone. Accounts can also be retitled into a trust to keep them out of probate entirely.
Bellwether CU provides specific procedures for both proactive estate planning and filing claims after a death.
Preparing your estate
Beneficiaries and trust funding
How to update beneficiaries in-branch, fund a trust in-branch, and review 16 account types at Bellwether CU.
View details →When someone dies
Death claim process
5-step process, 5 required documents, and contact information for survivors.
View details →Bellwether CU operates in select states, so estate planning procedures may vary by location. Confirm availability in your state before initiating trust funding or account changes.
Frequently asked questions
Bellwether partners with Northeast Planning Associates, Inc. (NPA), a registered investment adviser, with securities and advisory services offered through LPL Financial (member FINRA/SIPC), for member financial planning, retirement planning, investment strategies, insurance, and estate plan analysis (advisor Dominic M. Lucente, CFP). See https://www.bccu.org/business-services/northeast-planning-associates for current advisor information. NPA and LPL Financial are separate entities from, and not affiliates of, Bellwether Community Credit Union, so accounts opened through this partnership are governed by NPA/LPL beneficiary and TOD procedures rather than Bellwether's POD process.
Yes, for deposit accounts. Live Free Checking, MyMoney Checking, Primary Share Savings, Money Market Savings, Premier Money Market, and Share Certificates can be retitled to a revocable living trust at any of the four branches. The grantor(s) and trustee(s) must qualify for Bellwether membership (anyone living or working in NH, residents of Essex and Middlesex counties in MA, or communications-industry employees in ME/MA/VT). Bring the trust agreement or certification of trust, photo ID for all trustees, and a trust EIN if applicable. Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, and IRA Certificates cannot be retitled to a trust under IRS rules; use beneficiary designations instead.
Sources
Data sourced from Bellwether CU primary sources (16 pages reviewed). How we research.
Member Support
Bellwether Community Credit Union, 425 Hooksett Road, Manchester, NH 03104
Member Support
Bellwether Community Credit Union, 425 Hooksett Road, Manchester, NH 03104
Member Support (Estate Services)
Bellwether Community Credit Union, 425 Hooksett Road, Manchester, NH 03104
Estate planning articles
Learn how to protect your Bellwether CU accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
