How to name beneficiaries and fund a trust at Dodge & Cox
Covers 7 investment, and 7 retirement accounts — beneficiaries can be managed online
Client Services (shareholder servicing for direct-held Fund accounts, operated by the Funds' transfer agent SS&C GIDS, Inc.)
Dodge & Cox Funds, P.O. Box 219502, Kansas City, MO 64121-9502
Inheritance & Estate Services
Dodge & Cox Funds, P.O. Box 219502, Kansas City, MO 64121-9502
Client Services -- Inheritance Claims / Death Notification, routed to the Life Events Transition Team (call (800) 621-3979 Option 6 -- Dodge & Cox does not publish a dedicated fax or email for death claims)
Dodge & Cox Funds, P.O. Box 219502, Kansas City, MO 64121-9502 (Express: 801 Pennsylvania Ave, Suite 219502, Kansas City, MO 64105-1307)
Preparing your Dodge & Cox investment accounts for estate transfer involves two primary strategies: designating beneficiaries on individual accounts and, where supported, retitling accounts into a revocable living trust. Both approaches bypass probate, but they work differently depending on the account type.
Across 14 product types, Dodge & Cox investment accounts vary in how they transfer at death. The sections below walk through Transfer on Death (TOD) designations, trust funding options, and which products support each method.
Required Documents
- Trust name, date established, and tax ID (EIN or SSN)
Special Requirements
- IRA accounts and taxable accounts use separate beneficiary designation forms
- TOD beneficiary designations are available only for individual and joint-tenant (WROS) taxable accounts; the transfer agent does not register TOD for tenants-in-common, community property, or non-natural persons (corporations, trusts, associations)
- A trust can be named as IRA beneficiary; for taxable accounts, a trust cannot be a TOD beneficiary -- retitle the account to the trust instead
- IRA beneficiary designations should be reviewed after major life events (marriage, children, retirement)
- Beneficiary updates replace all existing beneficiaries on the account
Sources
Data sourced from Dodge & Cox primary sources (16 pages reviewed). How we research.
Download these Dodge & Cox instructions
Download instructions for the whole estateA printable PDF with the steps, required documents, and contact details — verified against Dodge & Cox primary sources. Bring it to the branch or keep it beside the phone.
Client Services (shareholder servicing for direct-held Fund accounts, operated by the Funds' transfer agent SS&C GIDS, Inc.)
Dodge & Cox Funds, P.O. Box 219502, Kansas City, MO 64121-9502
Inheritance & Estate Services
Dodge & Cox Funds, P.O. Box 219502, Kansas City, MO 64121-9502
Client Services -- Inheritance Claims / Death Notification, routed to the Life Events Transition Team (call (800) 621-3979 Option 6 -- Dodge & Cox does not publish a dedicated fax or email for death claims)
Dodge & Cox Funds, P.O. Box 219502, Kansas City, MO 64121-9502 (Express: 801 Pennsylvania Ave, Suite 219502, Kansas City, MO 64105-1307)
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