How to name beneficiaries and fund a trust at Brooklyn Coop
Beneficiaries are managed in branch. Trust paperwork is taken in branch
Estate planning at Brooklyn Coop means getting each account set up so it transfers automatically when you die—either through a POD beneficiary or trust ownership. Because Brooklyn Coop is a membership-based institution, trust retitling must maintain the membership eligibility requirement. Without one of these in place, accounts may require probate before your family can access the funds.
Brooklyn Coop offers 8 accounts, each with its own transfer rules. The sections below cover how to set up beneficiaries, fund a trust, and which products support each approach.
Beneficiary form at Brooklyn Coop
Membership Application.
- Full legal name
- Date of birth
- Social Security number
- Relationship to account holder
Required Documents
- Beneficiary's full legal name
- Beneficiary's date of birth
- Beneficiary's Social Security number
- Beneficiary's relationship to the account holder
- Government-issued photo ID (at a branch)
- Full trust agreement or certification of trust
- Government-issued ID for all trustees
- Tax ID Number (SSN or EIN for the trust)
Required Documents
- Trust agreement or certification of trust. The full trust agreement or a certification of trust
- Government-issued photo ID (for each trustee)
- Tax ID Number. The SSN or EIN for the trust
- Trust name
- Date the trust was established
- Names of the trustees and successor trustees
What Brooklyn Coop says about beneficiaries and trusts
Each section is Brooklyn Coop's own statement, with the document it comes from numbered under Sources.
Which accounts take a beneficiary2
- Payable-on-death account
POD designations are available on the deposit accounts: Simple Savings, Savings with ATM, Personal Checking and High Yield Club.1
The beneficiary designation is recorded on the Membership Application itself.2
- IRA
Brooklyn Coop offers no IRAs or investment accounts, so there is no separate retirement beneficiary form to complete.1
How many beneficiaries, and how shares are split
- All accounts
With more than one beneficiary, the owner specifies the percentage allocation for each.1
Beneficiary forms Brooklyn Coop issues1
- Membership Application
Completed by the account owner, at a branch. Provided at a branch.2
What Brooklyn Coop's agreement says about beneficiaries2
- No beneficiary survives
If no beneficiary is listed on the Membership Application, section I-12 of the Membership Agreement puts the account under the control of the deceased member's estate.3
- Joint accounts
Joint accounts carry rights of survivorship, but under section I-9 of the Membership Agreement a joint owner is not thereby a member. Each member must purchase and maintain a share in an account naming them as sole or primary owner.3
Trust account forms Brooklyn Coop issues1
- Trust account application
Provided at a branch.4
What Brooklyn Coop says about trust accounts2
- Membership
Account holders must be eligible for and admitted to membership, and under section I-4 of the Membership Agreement every member must purchase and maintain the par share in a regular share account naming them as sole or primary owner.3
The regular share account is the membership share. Closing it ends membership, and with it the ability to hold any account.4
- Fees
Notary service is available in branch for $2 if a certification of trust needs acknowledgment.5
Not in Brooklyn Coop's published guidance5
- An online way to name a beneficiary
- A beneficiary form to download
- Standalone POD form
- A procedure for holding an account in a trust
- Terms in its agreements for a trust account
Sources5
- 1.Member Services Forms
- 2.Membership Application
- 3.Membership Agreement, modified June 2025
- 4.Brooklyn Coop Member Services
- 5.Our Fees (July 2026)
Sources
(1)·
Data sourced from Brooklyn Coop primary sources (16 pages reviewed). How we research.
Download these Brooklyn Coop instructions
A printable PDF with the steps, required documents, and contact details, verified against Brooklyn Coop primary sources. Bring it to the branch or keep it beside the phone.
Brooklyn Coop estate support
Member Services
Phone
Bushwick branch
Bed-Stuy branch (Restoration Plaza)
East New York branch
Credit card support
Block a lost or stolen ATM/debit card
ATM/debit card PIN reset
Remote Account Services (remote account opening)
Mailing address
Website
Estate requests go through general customer service.
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