How to name beneficiaries and fund a trust at Comerica
Beneficiaries are managed in branch, by phone or by mail. Trust paperwork is taken in branch or by mail
Comerica merged into Fifth Third BankMerged, effective February 2026
Fifth Third Bancorp closed its merger with Comerica Incorporated on February 1, 2026 (announced February 2, 2026), forming the ninth-largest U.S. bank at approximately $294 billion in assets. FDIC BankFind records the Comerica Bank charter (Cert 983) as inactive with an end date of 02/01/2026. The brand and systems conversion, originally announced for the third quarter, completed over Labor Day weekend 2026: the final Comerica statement covered activity through September 4, 2026; Fifth Third online and mobile banking access opened September 8, 2026; mortgages transferred September 1, 2026; and Comerica branches now operate as Fifth Third branches. Comerica debit cards and Comerica-branded checks continue to work, but customers must create new Fifth Third credentials at 53.com/enroll rather than reusing a Comerica user ID. Deposits held at each legacy bank remained separately FDIC insured for six months from the February 1, 2026 closing, with CDs maturing after August 1, 2026 insured separately until maturity. Report a death on a former Comerica account to Fifth Third.
Estate planning for your Comerica accounts starts with understanding how each one transfers at death. Beneficiary designations and trust retitling both bypass probate, but the right approach depends on the account type, your tax situation, and how much control you want over distributions.
Across 17 product types, Comerica accounts vary in how they transfer at death. The sections below walk through Payable on Death (POD) designations, trust funding options, and which products support each method.
Beneficiary form at Comerica
Fifth Third signature card (payable-on-death or "In Trust For" designation) (for payable-on-death accounts) and IRA beneficiary designation on the IRA plan agreement (for IRAs).
- Deposit accounts: a new signature card carrying the payable-on-death or "In Trust For" designation
- IRAs: the beneficiary designation on the IRA plan agreement, which is a separate document from the signature card
- Brokerage assets from a legacy Comerica Securities Asset Management Account: a transfer-on-death registration with the broker holding the assets, not a bank form
- Primary and contingent beneficiary full legal name, date of birth and relationship
- Percentage allocations for each beneficiary, totaling 100%
- Ask what is already on file first: the conversion may have carried a designation forward, and a new card revokes it
- Ask whether a signature is required and how it can be returned
- Beneficiary full legal name, date of birth and relationship
- Allocation percentages totaling 100%
- Note that the new designation supersedes and revokes all prior ones, so list everyone you intend to include
Required Documents
- Each beneficiary's full legal name, date of birth and relationship (for each primary and contingent beneficiary)
- Percentage allocation for each beneficiary. The allocations total 100%
- Government-issued photo ID (at a branch)
- Trust document or Certificate of Trust
- Government-issued photo ID for all trustees
- The trust TIN, or the grantor's SSN for a revocable trust
- Retitle the existing converted Comerica accounts into the name of the trust
- Open new accounts in the trust's name where retitling is not possible
- Ask specifically about CDs: whether a legacy Comerica CD can be retitled in place or must be reissued, since a reissue can reset the term
- The application with the trust name, date established and trustee information
- A copy of the trust document or Certificate of Trust
- Copies of government-issued ID for all trustees
- A W-9 carrying the trust TIN or the grantor's SSN
Required Documents
- Trust document or Certificate of Trust. The full trust agreement or a Certificate of Trust is accepted
- Government-issued photo ID (for every trustee who will be an account signer)
- Trust taxpayer identification number. The trust TIN, or the grantor's SSN for a revocable trust
- New signature card indicating a "trust" account. It names the current trustees as signers
- W-9 (by mail). Carrying the trust TIN or the grantor's SSN
- Trust provision or court order appointing the successor trustee (for a successor trustee stepping in). Successors appointed by the trust or by court order are recognized
- Prior trustee's death certificate or resignation (for a successor trustee stepping in)
- Deposit accounts: a new signature card carrying the payable-on-death or "In Trust For" designation
- IRAs: the beneficiary designation on the IRA plan agreement, which is a separate document from the signature card
- Brokerage assets from a legacy Comerica Securities Asset Management Account: a transfer-on-death registration with the broker holding the assets, not a bank form
- Primary and contingent beneficiary full legal name, date of birth and relationship
- Percentage allocations for each beneficiary, totaling 100%
- Ask what is already on file first: the conversion may have carried a designation forward, and a new card revokes it
- Ask whether a signature is required and how it can be returned
- Beneficiary full legal name, date of birth and relationship
- Allocation percentages totaling 100%
- Note that the new designation supersedes and revokes all prior ones, so list everyone you intend to include
Required Documents
- Each beneficiary's full legal name, date of birth and relationship (for each primary and contingent beneficiary)
- Percentage allocation for each beneficiary. The allocations total 100%
- Government-issued photo ID (at a branch)
- Trust document or Certificate of Trust
- Government-issued photo ID for all trustees
- The trust TIN, or the grantor's SSN for a revocable trust
- Retitle the existing converted Comerica accounts into the name of the trust
- Open new accounts in the trust's name where retitling is not possible
- Ask specifically about CDs: whether a legacy Comerica CD can be retitled in place or must be reissued, since a reissue can reset the term
- The application with the trust name, date established and trustee information
- A copy of the trust document or Certificate of Trust
- Copies of government-issued ID for all trustees
- A W-9 carrying the trust TIN or the grantor's SSN
Required Documents
- Trust document or Certificate of Trust. The full trust agreement or a Certificate of Trust is accepted
- Government-issued photo ID (for every trustee who will be an account signer)
- Trust taxpayer identification number. The trust TIN, or the grantor's SSN for a revocable trust
- New signature card indicating a "trust" account. It names the current trustees as signers
- W-9 (by mail). Carrying the trust TIN or the grantor's SSN
- Trust provision or court order appointing the successor trustee (for a successor trustee stepping in). Successors appointed by the trust or by court order are recognized
- Prior trustee's death certificate or resignation (for a successor trustee stepping in)
- Deposit accounts: a new signature card carrying the payable-on-death or "In Trust For" designation
- IRAs: the beneficiary designation on the IRA plan agreement, which is a separate document from the signature card
- Brokerage assets from a legacy Comerica Securities Asset Management Account: a transfer-on-death registration with the broker holding the assets, not a bank form
- Primary and contingent beneficiary full legal name, date of birth and relationship
- Percentage allocations for each beneficiary, totaling 100%
- Ask what is already on file first: the conversion may have carried a designation forward, and a new card revokes it
- Ask whether a signature is required and how it can be returned
- Beneficiary full legal name, date of birth and relationship
- Allocation percentages totaling 100%
- Note that the new designation supersedes and revokes all prior ones, so list everyone you intend to include
Required Documents
- Each beneficiary's full legal name, date of birth and relationship (for each primary and contingent beneficiary)
- Percentage allocation for each beneficiary. The allocations total 100%
- Government-issued photo ID (at a branch)
What Comerica says about beneficiaries and trusts
Each section is Comerica's own statement, with the document it comes from numbered under Sources.
Which accounts take a beneficiary3
- Payable-on-death account
A former Comerica deposit account is governed by the Fifth Third Deposit Account Rules & Regulations, not the Comerica deposit contract. Its § 2.3 Payable on Death Account provision is the operative rule.1
"In Trust For" and "ITF" designations are treated the same way as payable-on-death designations.1
- IRA
IRA beneficiaries, for a Traditional, Roth, SEP or SIMPLE IRA, are designated on the IRA plan agreement, which is separate from the deposit signature card.2
- Investment account
Brokerage assets from a legacy Comerica Securities Asset Management Account take a transfer-on-death registration with the broker holding the assets, not a bank form.3
How many beneficiaries, and how shares are split
- All accounts
Primary and contingent beneficiaries are each given a percentage allocation, and the allocations total 100%.3
What a designation takes to be effective
- Payable-on-death account
A payable-on-death designation is made on the signature card.1
Beneficiary forms Comerica issues2
- Fifth Third signature card (payable-on-death or "In Trust For" designation)
For payable-on-death accounts. Sent by the institution on request.1
- IRA beneficiary designation on the IRA plan agreement
For IRAs. Sent by the institution on request.2
What Comerica's agreement says about beneficiaries3
- Changing or revoking a designation
A new payable-on-death designation "supersedes and revokes any previous appointment of any other beneficiary," so re-designating wipes out the prior list rather than adding to it.1
- What the owner keeps while living
The owner may withdraw the whole balance during life and may revoke the designation at any time. The bank "has the right to deal with the Customer as if a beneficiary was not named."1
- A beneficiary who dies first
The beneficiary must survive the owner. Fifth Third reserves the right to require satisfactory proof both of the owner's death and of the beneficiary's survival.1
Which accounts a trust can hold1
- Payable-on-death account
An "In Trust For" (ITF) account is not a § 2.4 trust account. It is a § 2.3 payable-on-death designation on an individually owned account and gives the named person no lifetime rights.1
Trust account forms Comerica issues2
What Comerica says about trust accounts3
- Whether a new account is opened
Trust accounts cannot be opened online.3
- Who signs for the trust
When the signature card indicates the account is a "trust" account, the trust is the Customer and the current trustees are the account signers.1
The trustees are responsible for all transactions performed on the account. The bank wants ID on every trustee.1
- Successor trustees
On a trustee's death or resignation, the successor trustees appointed by the trust or by court order become the trustees. No new bank appointment is required, but the bank needs the documents proving the succession.1
Accounts handled elsewhere1
- Fifth Third Wealth Management
Comerica's former trust and fiduciary business5
Sources5
- 1.Fifth Third Deposit Account Rules & Regulations, Issue Date June 25, 2026
- 2.IRA plan agreement
- 3.Fifth Third Customer Service
- 4.Fifth Third branch locator
- 5.Estate Settlement Administration
Sources
Data sourced from Comerica primary sources (11 pages reviewed). How we research.
Download these Comerica instructions
Download instructions for the whole estateA printable PDF with the steps, required documents, and contact details — verified against Comerica primary sources. Bring it to the branch or keep it beside the phone.
Comerica estate support
Estate Settlement Administration (Fifth Third Wealth Management)
Phone
Website
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