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OverviewPreparing your estateWhen someone dies
OverviewPreparing your estateWhen someone dies
SimplyTrust forms
Letter of Instruction
Home→Financial Institutions→CalSTRS→Preparing your estate

How to designate beneficiaries at CalSTRS

Covers 6 state-pension accounts — beneficiaries can be managed online

CalSTRS

State Pension System · Select States

calstrs.com→
CalSTRS logo

CalSTRS Contact Center

Phone916-414-1099
Toll-Free800-228-5453
Fax916-414-5040
Mailing Address

CalSTRS, P.O. Box 15275, Sacramento, CA 95851-0275

WebsiteLearn more→

CalSTRS Contact Center

Phone916-414-1099
Toll-Free800-228-5453
Fax916-414-5040
Mailing Address

CalSTRS, P.O. Box 15275, Sacramento, CA 95851-0275

WebsiteLearn more→

CalSTRS Survivor Benefits

Phone916-414-1099
Toll-Free800-228-5453
Fax916-414-5040
Mailing Address

CalSTRS, P.O. Box 15275, Sacramento, CA 95851-0275

WebsiteNotify online→
Verified Jul 2026

Preparing your CalSTRS benefits for your family means choosing the right retirement payment option and keeping your survivor and death-benefit beneficiaries current. The option you elect at retirement, and the beneficiary on file, control what CalSTRS pays at death—these choices override your will.

CalSTRS offers 6 pension benefits, each with its own transfer rules. The sections below cover how to set up beneficiaries, fund a trust, and which products support each approach.

SimplyTrustSimplyTrust Editorial·Updated July 12, 2026

Sources

  • calstrs.com

Data sourced from CalSTRS primary sources (11 pages reviewed). How we research.

Download these CalSTRS instructions

Download instructions for the whole estate→

A printable PDF with the steps, required documents, and contact details — verified against CalSTRS primary sources. Bring it to the branch or keep it beside the phone.

CalSTRS

State Pension System · Select States

calstrs.com→
CalSTRS logo

CalSTRS Contact Center

Phone916-414-1099
Toll-Free800-228-5453
Fax916-414-5040
Mailing Address

CalSTRS, P.O. Box 15275, Sacramento, CA 95851-0275

WebsiteLearn more→

CalSTRS Contact Center

Phone916-414-1099
Toll-Free800-228-5453
Fax916-414-5040
Mailing Address

CalSTRS, P.O. Box 15275, Sacramento, CA 95851-0275

WebsiteLearn more→

CalSTRS Survivor Benefits

Phone916-414-1099
Toll-Free800-228-5453
Fax916-414-5040
Mailing Address

CalSTRS, P.O. Box 15275, Sacramento, CA 95851-0275

WebsiteNotify online→
Verified Jul 2026

Estate planning articles

Learn how to protect your CalSTRS accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.

When you're ready, we're here.

A revocable living trust skips probate, stays private, and takes 15 minutes.

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Estate planning articles

Learn how to protect your CalSTRS accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.

Reimbursable Trustee Expenses: A Clear Overview

Reimbursable Trustee Expenses: A Clear Overview

Which trustee expenses does a trust reimburse?
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Refundable Executor Expenses: What Estates Cover

Learn which out-of-pocket costs executors recover from estates.
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Dave Ramsey on Trusts: What We Agree and Disagree On

Dave Ramsey on Trusts: What We Agree and Disagree On

Dave Ramsey on trusts: any estate plan at all is a good thing. We agree about that. There's one thing we don't agree with him about on trusts, though.
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Jean Chatzky on Estate Planning: It’s a Gift

On estate planning, Jean Chatzky's most important reframe may be the simplest one. She says estate planning isn’t about your passing, it’s about your love for family.
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SimplyTrustSimplyTrust EditorialJuly 6, 2026
Robert Kiyosaki on Trusts: A Structural Necessity

Robert Kiyosaki on Trusts: A Structural Necessity

According to Robert Kiyosaki, trusts are a necessity for everyone, not only the wealthy.
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SimplyTrustSimplyTrust EditorialJune 30, 2026
Ramit Sethi on Estate Planning: Start With a Living Trust

Ramit Sethi on Estate Planning: Start With a Living Trust

Ramit Sethi on estate planning: start with a living trust and have regular conversations with your heirs about how to manage finances when the trust becomes active.
Trusts
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Is this your situation?

Get a complete guide for your specific circumstances.

New Baby or Adoption

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.

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Marriage

Marriage

What married couples need in place: one joint trust or two, wills, beneficiary updates, and the spousal rights your state grants you automatically.

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New Home

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.

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Retirement

Retirement

Retirement changes your financial picture. Healthcare directives, beneficiary reviews, long-term care planning, and protecting what you've built.

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