How to name beneficiaries and fund a trust at Connexus
Beneficiaries are managed in branch, by phone or by mail. Trust paperwork is taken in branch or by mail
The goal with your Connexus accounts is to make sure every account has a transfer mechanism in place—either a POD beneficiary designation or trust ownership. Because Connexus is a membership-based institution, trust retitling must maintain the membership eligibility requirement. Accounts without either one pass through the estate, by probate or the state's small-estate procedure.
Across 16 product types, Connexus 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 Connexus
Connexus Credit Union Payable on Death Form (for payable-on-death accounts), Form 301, IRA Beneficiary Designation (for IRAs) and HSA beneficiary paperwork (for health savings accounts).
Open the form →- Bring government-issued photo ID
- Ask to add or update the Payable on Death designation (deposit accounts) or the IRA beneficiary designation (retirement accounts)
- Bring a list of the account Types and Suffixes you want covered
- Payable on Death Form for deposit accounts, or form 301 IRA Beneficiary Designation for an IRA
- For an HSA, ask for the HSA beneficiary paperwork; the Payable on Death Form excludes HSAs
- The form can be mailed to you or handled through Secure Messaging in Digital Banking
- Complete, sign, and return it by mail or in branch; the phone call alone does not change a beneficiary
- Member Information: member number, date, primary member name and Social Security number, joint member name and Social Security number
- Account Information: the Type and Suffix of each account the designation is to cover; six pairs of slots are provided
- Choose the applicable direction: remove all beneficiaries from the listed accounts without replacement, or pay the amounts credited to those accounts at your death to the beneficiaries named
- Beneficiary block: name, relationship, date of birth, Social Security number, and home address (the form specifies no PO Boxes)
- Sign and date; all account owners sign
Required Documents
- Member number (on the Payable on Death Form)
- Name and Social Security number of the primary member and any joint member (on the Payable on Death Form)
- Type and Suffix of each account to be covered (on the Payable on Death Form, and as a list brought to a branch)
- Beneficiary's name and relationship (on the Payable on Death Form)
- Beneficiary's date of birth (on the Payable on Death Form)
- Beneficiary's Social Security number (on the Payable on Death Form)
- Beneficiary's home address (on the Payable on Death Form)
- Government-issued photo ID (at a branch)
- Full trust agreement or Certificate of Trust
- Government-issued ID for all trustees
- Trust tax identification number (EIN or SSN)
- Copy of the trust agreement or Certificate of Trust
- Government-issued ID copies for all trustees
- Trust EIN or SSN documentation
- The completed and signed account change and trust account forms, listing each account by Type and Suffix
Required Documents
- Trust agreement or Certificate of Trust. Either is taken: the full trust agreement of a revocable living trust, or a Certificate of Trust (preferred for privacy). By mail, a copy
- Government-issued photo ID (for every trustee). By mail, copies of each trustee's ID
- Trust tax identification number. An EIN or SSN
- Signed account change paperwork (for each account being retitled). By mail, the completed account change and trust account forms list each account by Type and Suffix
- Bring government-issued photo ID
- Ask to add or update the Payable on Death designation (deposit accounts) or the IRA beneficiary designation (retirement accounts)
- Bring a list of the account Types and Suffixes you want covered
- Payable on Death Form for deposit accounts, or form 301 IRA Beneficiary Designation for an IRA
- For an HSA, ask for the HSA beneficiary paperwork; the Payable on Death Form excludes HSAs
- The form can be mailed to you or handled through Secure Messaging in Digital Banking
- Complete, sign, and return it by mail or in branch; the phone call alone does not change a beneficiary
- Member Information: member number, date, primary member name and Social Security number, joint member name and Social Security number
- Account Information: the Type and Suffix of each account the designation is to cover; six pairs of slots are provided
- Choose the applicable direction: remove all beneficiaries from the listed accounts without replacement, or pay the amounts credited to those accounts at your death to the beneficiaries named
- Beneficiary block: name, relationship, date of birth, Social Security number, and home address (the form specifies no PO Boxes)
- Sign and date; all account owners sign
Required Documents
- Member number (on the Payable on Death Form)
- Name and Social Security number of the primary member and any joint member (on the Payable on Death Form)
- Type and Suffix of each account to be covered (on the Payable on Death Form, and as a list brought to a branch)
- Beneficiary's name and relationship (on the Payable on Death Form)
- Beneficiary's date of birth (on the Payable on Death Form)
- Beneficiary's Social Security number (on the Payable on Death Form)
- Beneficiary's home address (on the Payable on Death Form)
- Government-issued photo ID (at a branch)
- Full trust agreement or Certificate of Trust
- Government-issued ID for all trustees
- Trust tax identification number (EIN or SSN)
- Copy of the trust agreement or Certificate of Trust
- Government-issued ID copies for all trustees
- Trust EIN or SSN documentation
- The completed and signed account change and trust account forms, listing each account by Type and Suffix
Required Documents
- Trust agreement or Certificate of Trust. Either is taken: the full trust agreement of a revocable living trust, or a Certificate of Trust (preferred for privacy). By mail, a copy
- Government-issued photo ID (for every trustee). By mail, copies of each trustee's ID
- Trust tax identification number. An EIN or SSN
- Signed account change paperwork (for each account being retitled). By mail, the completed account change and trust account forms list each account by Type and Suffix
- Bring government-issued photo ID
- Ask to add or update the Payable on Death designation (deposit accounts) or the IRA beneficiary designation (retirement accounts)
- Bring a list of the account Types and Suffixes you want covered
- Payable on Death Form for deposit accounts, or form 301 IRA Beneficiary Designation for an IRA
- For an HSA, ask for the HSA beneficiary paperwork; the Payable on Death Form excludes HSAs
- The form can be mailed to you or handled through Secure Messaging in Digital Banking
- Complete, sign, and return it by mail or in branch; the phone call alone does not change a beneficiary
- Member Information: member number, date, primary member name and Social Security number, joint member name and Social Security number
- Account Information: the Type and Suffix of each account the designation is to cover; six pairs of slots are provided
- Choose the applicable direction: remove all beneficiaries from the listed accounts without replacement, or pay the amounts credited to those accounts at your death to the beneficiaries named
- Beneficiary block: name, relationship, date of birth, Social Security number, and home address (the form specifies no PO Boxes)
- Sign and date; all account owners sign
Required Documents
- Member number (on the Payable on Death Form)
- Name and Social Security number of the primary member and any joint member (on the Payable on Death Form)
- Type and Suffix of each account to be covered (on the Payable on Death Form, and as a list brought to a branch)
- Beneficiary's name and relationship (on the Payable on Death Form)
- Beneficiary's date of birth (on the Payable on Death Form)
- Beneficiary's Social Security number (on the Payable on Death Form)
- Beneficiary's home address (on the Payable on Death Form)
- Government-issued photo ID (at a branch)
What Connexus says about beneficiaries and trusts
Each section is Connexus's own statement, with the document it comes from numbered under Sources.
Which accounts take a beneficiary3
- Payable-on-death account
Connexus does not accept "all future accounts" as a Payable on Death option. Every account must be specified by Type and Suffix, and a designation has to be refiled after opening a new account.1
- Health savings account
The Payable on Death Form covers standard deposit accounts only. Its instruction reads: "If looking to alter HSA or IRA beneficiaries, please contact Connexus Credit Union."1
Who can be named1
How many beneficiaries, and how shares are split
- Payable-on-death account
Multiple surviving beneficiaries own the funds jointly in equal shares without rights of survivorship, unless state law provides otherwise or Connexus permits and documents otherwise. The deposit form has no percentage field.2, 1
- IRA
On the IRA form, primary beneficiary percentages must total 100%. Beneficiaries named without percentages are deemed to own equal shares.3
What a designation takes to be effective
- Payable-on-death account
All account owners sign and date the Payable on Death Form.1
Beneficiary forms Connexus issues3
- Connexus Credit Union Payable on Death Form
For payable-on-death accounts. Completed by all account owners. Available to download.1
Return to
Mailing address: Connexus Credit Union, PO Box 8026, Wausau, WI 54402-8026
- Form 301, IRA Beneficiary Designation
For IRAs. Available to download.3
Return to
Mailing address: PO Box 8026, Wausau, WI 54402-8026
- HSA beneficiary paperwork
For health savings accounts. Sent by the institution on request.1
What Connexus's agreement says about beneficiaries3
- What the owner keeps while living
The account is payable to the owners during their lifetimes and, when the last owner dies, to all surviving payable-on-death or trust beneficiaries.2
- A beneficiary who dies first
On the IRA form, the interest of a beneficiary who dies before the owner terminates completely, and the remaining beneficiaries' shares increase pro rata.3
- Who can see the designation
Connexus is not obligated to notify any beneficiary or payee of the existence of an account or the vesting of that interest, except as otherwise provided by law.2
State requirements Connexus statesWisconsin
- Wisconsin
Under section 3a of the booklet, a Marital Account is a joint account held by a married couple without right of survivorship, and either spouse may name a payable-on-death beneficiary for that spouse's own interest.2
Which accounts a trust can hold2
- Trust account
Section 4 of the booklet says the payable-on-death and trust designation paragraph "does not apply to an account held on behalf of or in the name of a trust." A trust-titled account belongs to the trust outright.2
- IRA
An IRA cannot be retitled to a trust. Section 4 of the booklet excludes IRAs from payable-on-death and trust designations.2
What Connexus says about trust accounts1
- Membership
The $5 membership share is the share that makes the member a member-owner, and Connexus returns it when a member leaves.5
Sources5
- 1.Connexus Credit Union Payable on Death Form
- 2.Account Information Booklet
- 3.301 IRA Beneficiary Designation
- 4.Contact Us
- 5.Connexus Credit Union (document not named)
Sources
Data sourced from Connexus primary sources (20 pages reviewed). How we research.
Download these Connexus instructions
Download instructions for the whole estateA printable PDF with the steps, required documents, and contact details — verified against Connexus primary sources. Bring it to the branch or keep it beside the phone.
Connexus estate support
Connexus Investment Services Group (securities and advisory services through LPL Financial, member FINRA/SIPC)
Phone
Website
Estate planning articles
Learn how to protect your Connexus accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
Is this your situation?
Get a complete guide for your specific circumstances.
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.
Learn more
Marriage
What married couples need in place: one joint trust or two, wills, beneficiary updates, and the spousal rights your state grants you automatically.
Learn more
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.
Learn more
Retirement
Retirement changes your financial picture. Healthcare directives, beneficiary reviews, long-term care planning, and protecting what you've built.
Learn moreForms for Planning Your Estate
Free forms for planning your estate: a will, living trust, pour-over will, both powers of attorney, living will, and TOD deed.
Revocable Living Trust
Create a revocable living trust to avoid probate, protect privacy, and control asset distribution.
Last Will and Testament
Name your heirs, guardians, and final wishes. Free for every state.
Transfer on Death Deed
Transfer real property to a beneficiary upon your death without probate. Available in 34 states and the District of Columbia.
Tools for Planning Your Estate
Free tools for planning your estate: what a will or trust costs, whether you need a trust or TOD deed, and how documents are signed.
How Much Does a Revocable Living Trust Cost?
Compare revocable living trust costs across providers including online services and attorneys.
How Does SimplyTrust Compare to LegalZoom, Trust & Will, and Other Services?
Compare what it costs to make a trust official across SimplyTrust, LegalZoom, Trust & Will, Rocket Lawyer, and Quicken WillMaker.
Do I Need a Revocable Trust?
Find out if a revocable trust makes sense based on your state, estate value, and family situation.
Trust or Will: Which Costs Less?
Compare the cost of probate vs a trust for your state and estate value.
What Does Estate Planning Actually Cost?
Compare costs across estate planning providers including online services and attorneys.
How Much Life Insurance Do I Need?
Calculate your life insurance needs based on income, debts, and family situation.
