How to name beneficiaries and fund a trust at Cetera

The operative designation form belongs to the custodian, and Cetera advisory accounts sit at four custodians: Pershing, National Financial Services, Cetera Investment Services and Charles Schwab.¹

IRAs use the custodian's IRA beneficiary form, not the TOD form used for taxable accounts.²

A 529 account uses a successor owner designation rather than a TOD beneficiary.²

A trust can be named as beneficiary, giving the exact trust name, the date it was established and its tax ID.²

The form takes primary and contingent beneficiaries with an allocation percentage for each.²

For investment accounts. Completed by the account owner, through the advisor. Sent by the institution on request.¹

For IRAs. Completed by the account owner, through the advisor. Sent by the institution on request.¹

A named beneficiary controls the account at death and overrides your will.²

The AdviceWorks client portal is a document and account-view platform, not a place to change a beneficiary.⁴

IRAs and employer plans cannot be retitled to a trust; the trust can only be named as beneficiary.²

Retitling an existing Cetera brokerage or advisory account into your trust is a custodian transaction that your advisor submits.¹

Completed by the trustee, through the advisor. Sent by the institution on request.¹

Corporate trustee, successor trustee and directed trustee services, a separate engagement from retitling⁵

Custodian for accounts at Cetera Advisors and Cetera Financial Specialists, and some at Cetera Wealth Services^{1, 6, 7, 8}

Custodian for some accounts at Cetera Wealth Services^{1, 8}

Custodian for its own accounts, as a self-clearing broker-dealer^{1, 9}

Custodian for some Cetera Investment Advisers accounts¹