How to name beneficiaries and fund a trust at Cincinnati Life
Beneficiaries are managed by phone or by mail. Trust paperwork is taken by phone or by mail
For Cincinnati Life policyholders, estate planning comes down to one critical step: making sure the right beneficiaries are named on every policy. Insurance proceeds bypass probate entirely and go directly to whoever is listed—regardless of what a will says. When estate tax planning or controlled distributions are a factor, a trust can be named as beneficiary instead.
Cincinnati Life has 4 policies with different estate transfer rules. Here is how beneficiary designations, trust ownership, and probate apply to each one.
Beneficiary form at Cincinnati Life
Policy Service Form (Form CLI-8972, rev. 7/25) and California Policy Service Form.
Open the form →- Ask for the version that matches the policyowner's state. There is a separate California Policy Service Form, and the standard form applies in all states except New York unless marked otherwise
- A representative will mail, email or fax the form; the independent agent who wrote the policy can also supply and help complete it
- Beneficiary Change/Designation section on Page 1, Signature section on Page 2
- Fax to 513-870-2099 or email to CLICPolicy_Service@cinfin.com, or mail to Life Policy Services, The Cincinnati Life Insurance Company, P.O. Box 145496, Cincinnati, OH 45250-5496
- List primary beneficiaries with name and address, relationship, Social Security number and percentage of benefit; repeat for contingent beneficiaries
- Unless stated otherwise the designation is Share and Share Alike. If the split is anything else, the percentages must be written in and must total 100%
- If a trust is designated, state the date of the trust on the line the form provides for it
- If extra space is needed, attach a separate sheet and date, sign and witness both sheets
Required Documents
- Each beneficiary's name and address (for primary and contingent beneficiaries)
- Each beneficiary's relationship (for primary and contingent beneficiaries)
- Each beneficiary's Social Security number (for primary and contingent beneficiaries)
- Percentage of benefit for each beneficiary (unless the split is share and share alike)
- Full legal trust name and the date of the trust (when naming a trust)
- Trustee name, successor trustee name and trust EIN (when naming a trust). Kept to hand for the eventual claim. No W-9 is needed for a beneficiary change; at claim time the trustee produces a trustee certification and an IRS EIN confirmation letter
- Copy of the probate papers (if the current policyowner has died). The executor or administrator of the owner's estate completes and signs the form and returns it with the papers
- Full legal trust name and the date of the trust
- Trustee name and successor trustee name
- Trust EIN, with the IRS confirmation or verification letter on file
- Name the trust as Primary Owner with relationship, tax identification number and address; state the date of the trust on the line provided
- A Contingent Owner may be named, to become owner on the death of the primary owner
- Read the transfer conditions on the form before signing
- Complete the attached W-9 Taxpayer ID Certification in the trust's name as new owner
Required Documents
- Policy Service Form with W-9 Taxpayer ID Certification (Form CLI-8972, rev. 7/25). With the Ownership Designation section completed
- W-9 completed in the trust's name as new owner
- Full legal trust name, date of the trust, trustee name and successor trustee name
- Trust EIN. Keep the IRS confirmation or verification letter (Letter 147C or the SS-4 confirmation). Cincinnati Life requires that letter from a trust beneficiary at claim time
- Trustee certification form supplied by Cincinnati Life. A copy of the trust document is not required
- Signatures of the current policyowner, the new owner and any irrevocable beneficiary. The new owner signs where different from the current owner
- Witness signature. Or a licensed agent's signature with agent code number
- Copy of the probate papers and the executor's or administrator's signature (where the current policyowner has died)
What Cincinnati Life says about beneficiaries and trusts
Each section is Cincinnati Life's own statement, with the document it comes from numbered under Sources.
Who can be named1
How many beneficiaries, and how shares are split
- All accounts
Primary and contingent beneficiaries can be named. Percentages must total 100%; where none are stated, multiple beneficiaries take share and share alike.1
What a designation takes to be effective
- All accounts
If the policy carries an irrevocable beneficiary, that beneficiary must sign the form before a beneficiary or ownership change can be processed.1
The form is witnessed. The Life Service Forms page says a qualifying witness is any adult other than the insured, designated beneficiary or policyowner; the form itself says "someone other than the new beneficiary or new owner."2, 1
A licensed agent may sign as witness, adding their agent code number.2, 1
If the current policyowner has died, the executor or administrator of that owner's estate completes and signs the Policy Service Form.2
Beneficiary forms Cincinnati Life issues2
- Policy Service Form (Form CLI-8972, rev. 7/25)
Completed by the current policyowner. Available to download.1
Return to
Email: CLICPolicy_Service@cinfin.com
Fax: 1-513-870-2099
Mailing address: Life Policy Services, The Cincinnati Life Insurance Company, P.O. Box 145496, Cincinnati, OH 45250-5496
- California Policy Service Form
Completed by a policyowner in California. Sent by the institution on request.2
Return to
Email: CLICPolicy_Service@cinfin.com
Fax: 1-513-870-2099
Mailing address: Life Policy Services, The Cincinnati Life Insurance Company, P.O. Box 145496, Cincinnati, OH 45250-5496
What Cincinnati Life's agreement says about beneficiaries5
- Changing or revoking a designation
Completing the Beneficiary Change/Designation section revokes all prior beneficiary designations and all prior settlement option elections on that policy.1
- A designation and a will
Beneficiary designations override instructions in a will.2
- Review of the trust document
The form states Cincinnati Life is not bound by any trust, deed or partnership agreement and is not liable for how a trustee beneficiary applies the proceeds. The trust instrument governs distribution, not the insurer.1
- Changing the owner of a policy or account
If the policy is pledged rather than transferred, Cincinnati Life publishes a separate Conditional Assignment of Policy (Form CLI-6138): page 1 requests a collateral assignment and page 2 releases one. That form does not assign the right to designate or change the beneficiary or owner, or to elect settlement options.4
- Successor trustees
Cincinnati Life warns that if the trustee dies and the trust names no successor, there can be a delay at the time of a claim.2
State requirements Cincinnati Life statesCalifornia, New York
Trust account forms Cincinnati Life issues1
- Policy Service Form with W-9 Taxpayer ID Certification (Form CLI-8972, rev. 7/25)
For life insurance policys. Completed by the current policyowner and the new owner. Available to download.3
Return to
Email: CLICPolicy_Service@cinfin.com
Fax: 1-513-870-2099
Mailing address: Life Policy Services, The Cincinnati Life Insurance Company, P.O. Box 145496, Cincinnati, OH 45250-5496
What Cincinnati Life says about trust accounts1
- A trust as owner of a policy
A transfer of ownership is subject to any policy loan or advance and to any assignment already on file. The signer declares that no insolvency or bankruptcy proceedings are pending against them.3
Not in Cincinnati Life's published guidance1
- A processing time for policy service requests
Sources4
- 1.Policy Service Form (Form CLI-8972), rev. 7/25
- 2.Life Service Forms
- 3.Policy Service Form with W-9 Taxpayer ID Certification
- 4.Conditional Assignment of Policy (Form CLI-6138)
Sources
Data sourced from Cincinnati Life primary sources (15 pages reviewed). How we research.
Download these Cincinnati Life instructions
Download instructions for the whole estateA printable PDF with the steps, required documents, and contact details — verified against Cincinnati Life primary sources. Bring it to the branch or keep it beside the phone.
Cincinnati Life estate support
Life Policy Services
Phone
Toll-free
General Inquiries
Premium Accounting (billing, bank draft changes)
Fax
Hours
Mailing address
Website
Estate requests go through general customer service.
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