Estate planning at Desert Financial
How to protect 14 Desert Financial accounts — manage beneficiaries in-branch, fund a trust in-branch, and file claims through Desert Financial's Wills & Trusts
Desert Financial Credit Union, P.O. Box 2945, Phoenix, AZ 85062-2945
Operations Resolutions
Desert Financial Credit Union, Attn: Operations Resolutions, P.O. Box 2945, Phoenix, AZ 85062-2945
Desert Financial is a credit union offering 14 accounts that interact with estate planning in different ways. As a membership-based credit union, Desert Financial serves members in 11 Arizona counties including Maricopa, Pima, Pinal, Yavapai, Mohave, Yuma, Coconino, Cochise, Navajo, Gila, and La Paz. Over 50 branches. 500,000+ members. Serving Arizona for more than 85 years. Understanding how each account transfers at death—and which ones a trust can hold—helps families avoid probate delays and unintended outcomes.
At Desert Financial, beneficiary designations are managed in branch and by phone. Accounts can also be retitled into a trust to keep them out of probate entirely.
Desert Financial provides specific procedures for both proactive estate planning and filing claims after a death.
Preparing your estate
Beneficiaries and trust funding
How to update beneficiaries in-branch, fund a trust in-branch, and review 14 account types at Desert Financial.
View details →When someone dies
Death claim process
Contact Desert Financial's Wills & Trusts to file a claim. 6-step process, 7 required documents, and contact information for survivors.
View details →For questions about any of these procedures, contact Desert Financial's Wills & Trusts at (602) 336-5531.
Desert Financial operates in select states, so estate planning procedures may vary by location. Confirm availability in your state before initiating trust funding or account changes.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Desert Financial is an Arizona Supreme Court Certified Legal Document Preparation Business (CLDP #81024) that offers in-house preparation of wills, revocable living trusts, pour-over wills, financial powers of attorney, healthcare directives, trust amendments, and trust restatements. As of July 2026, 15 estate planning specialists work out of branches across the Phoenix metro area and northern Arizona (Payson, Prescott Valley, Flagstaff), with one virtual (Zoom/phone-only) specialist and bilingual (English/Spanish) specialists available. Free no-obligation consultations are available by phone, Zoom, or in-person by calling (602) 336-5531, option 2. These services do not provide legal advice.
Bring your full trust agreement or Certificate of Trust, government-issued photo ID for all trustees listed on the account, and the trust Employer Identification Number (EIN) or grantor SSN for revocable trusts. Visit a Desert Financial branch to complete the trust account application with a member service representative. Any existing POD designations on the account should be revoked before retitling to the trust. The process can also be initiated by mail by calling (602) 433-7000 to request the required forms.
Yes. Although IRAs cannot be retitled to a trust, a trust may be named as beneficiary of a Desert Financial Traditional or Roth IRA. Designating a trust as IRA beneficiary has tax and required minimum distribution (RMD) implications under IRS rules; consult a qualified tax advisor before completing the designation. To update IRA beneficiaries, visit a branch or call (602) 433-7000.
Sources
Data sourced from Desert Financial primary sources (18 pages reviewed). How we research.
Desert Financial Credit Union, P.O. Box 2945, Phoenix, AZ 85062-2945
Operations Resolutions
Desert Financial Credit Union, Attn: Operations Resolutions, P.O. Box 2945, Phoenix, AZ 85062-2945
Estate planning articles
Learn how to protect your Desert Financial accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
