How to designate beneficiaries at CalSTRS

CalSTRS has two independent designations that follow different rules. The one-time death benefit recipient, named on the Recipient Designation form, receives a single lump-sum payment.¹

Continuing monthly survivor benefits under Coverage A or Coverage B are paid to qualifying individuals under eligibility rules set by law, not by the Recipient Designation form, and can never be routed to a trust.¹

An option beneficiary is named separately, through a preretirement election of an option or at retirement, and receives a continuing monthly lifetime benefit.²

The Recipient Designation form does not protect a survivor with a lifetime benefit. That requires a Preretirement Election of an Option form or an option election at retirement.²

A member who participates in both the Defined Benefit Program and the Cash Balance Benefit Program and wants different recipients for each must complete two separate Recipient Designation forms.³

A living person can be named as one-time death benefit recipient.¹

An option beneficiary, who receives a continuing monthly lifetime benefit, must be a living person.²

The estate can be named as one-time death benefit recipient, by entering "My Estate" as the recipient's name.¹

An estate cannot be an option beneficiary.²

A trust can be named as one-time death benefit recipient. CalSTRS contacts the trustee and pays the benefit to the trust.¹

A trust cannot be an option beneficiary, so an ordinary revocable living trust cannot be named to receive a monthly lifetime benefit.²

An irrevocable trust established for an individual who is disabled can be an option or annuity beneficiary when certified on the Certification of a Special Needs Trust form filed with the option election.⁴

A corporation can be named as one-time death benefit recipient.¹

An organization or other entity cannot be an option beneficiary.²

A charitable organization or a parochial institution can be named as one-time death benefit recipient.¹

A charity cannot be an option beneficiary.²

A public entity can be named as one-time death benefit recipient.¹

Each recipient is given a percentage: the primary recipients total 100 percent and the secondary recipients 100 percent. Naming more than one recipient divides the payment equally unless other percentages are specified.³

If you are married or in a registered domestic partnership, your spouse or partner must also sign and date the Recipient Designation form and provide their Social Security number and date of birth.³

Required fields are marked with an asterisk, and CalSTRS rejects a form with any required field left blank.³

If your spouse or partner does not sign, you must include a signed Justification for Non-Signature form (MS1125A). Without the required signatures the Recipient Designation form is rejected.⁵

Where the spouse or partner refuses to sign, a court action can enforce or waive the requirement, and CalSTRS must have a certified copy of the court order before any designation can be made.⁵

Online, the member signature and the spouse or partner signature must be in the same format, both handwritten or both electronic.⁶

For pensions. Completed by the member. Available to download.³

Return to

For pensions. Completed by a married or partnered member whose spouse or partner does not sign. Available to download.⁵

For pensions. Available to download.⁴

Return to

For pensions. Available to download.²

Return to

For pensions. Sent by the institution on request.²

Return to

CalSTRS must receive the form before the member's death; a form received afterwards has no effect. After CalSTRS reviews and accepts it, a confirmation letter is sent.³

If no one-time death benefit recipient is in effect on the date of death, or if all named recipients die before the member, the benefit is paid to the estate.¹

If a primary or secondary recipient dies before you, waives or disclaims, that share is distributed proportionally among the remaining recipients at the same level.¹

The one-time death benefit recipient can be changed at any time before or after retirement, with no fee or financial penalty.¹

A retirement option beneficiary can be changed or cancelled only if CalSTRS receives the form within 30 days of the first benefit payment. After that, it can change only in the circumstances CalSTRS lists, taking effect six months after CalSTRS receives the request.¹

If a member refunds their account and later reinstates to membership, a prior Recipient Designation is invalidated. Under Coverage A the benefit can then be paid only once the member has earned or accumulated one year of service credit.³

The Recipient Designation form may or may not remain in effect after a dissolution of marriage or termination of a registered domestic partnership, depending on the circumstances.³

If CalSTRS cannot locate a designated recipient, it does not distribute the benefit until that recipient is located and confirmed.¹

A CalSTRS Defined Benefit pension or Cash Balance account cannot be retitled into a revocable living trust. There is no account to re-register in a trustee's name.¹