Estate planning at Edward Jones
How to protect 14 Edward Jones accounts — manage beneficiaries in-branch, fund a trust in-branch, and file claims through Edward Jones's Edward Jones Trust Company
Client Relations
Edward D. Jones & Co., L.P., 12555 Manchester Road, Saint Louis, MO 63131
Estate Services — start with the decedent's local branch; Estates Hotline for attorneys and CPAs
Edward D. Jones & Co., L.P., 12555 Manchester Road, Saint Louis, MO 63131
How your Edward Jones investment accounts transfer at death depends on how each one is titled and whether a beneficiary is on file. Of those, 13 can name a trust as beneficiary or be retitled into a trust. Getting these details right keeps assets out of probate and ensures they reach the intended recipients.
Managing beneficiaries at Edward Jones is straightforward—changes can be made in branch and by mail, typically taking 15-30 minutes with the advisor. Trust funding is also available, allowing families to retitle brokerage accounts into a trust.
Edward Jones has documented procedures for both preparing accounts during your lifetime and handling claims when an account holder passes away.
Preparing your estate
Beneficiaries and trust funding
How to update beneficiaries in-branch, fund a trust in-branch, and review 14 account types at Edward Jones.
View details →When someone dies
Death claim process
Contact Edward Jones's Edward Jones Trust Company to file a claim. 7-step process, 6 required documents, and contact information for survivors.
View details →Edward Jones's Edward Jones Trust Company can answer questions about beneficiaries, trusts, or death claims at 1-800-445-7224.
Frequently asked questions
Through the branch — there is no online path. Bring a certified copy of the trust agreement or a Certificate of Trust, government-issued ID for every trustee, and the trust's tax identification number. The advisor opens a new account registration in the trust name and moves the holdings in kind. Trust documents can be faxed to 877-818-0584 for home office review, and Edward Jones advertises a typical 24-hour turnaround for re-registering assets after it has everything. IRAs, Roth IRAs, and the owner-only 401(k) cannot be retitled into a trust — name the trust as beneficiary on those instead.
Yes. Edward Jones accepts custom-drafted beneficiary designations on traditional, Roth, SEP, and SIMPLE IRAs and owner-only 401(k) plans. An attorney or CPA can fax a draft to 877-818-0584 for pre-review. The designation has to give clear instructions and cannot require Edward Jones to make discretionary decisions, determine who is in a class of beneficiaries, or perform formula calculations. A living trust named as beneficiary must be identified by its title and the original date the trust agreement was executed. The client's signature on the final designation must be dated within 60 days of receipt at the Edward Jones home office.
Sources
Data sourced from Edward Jones primary sources (15 pages reviewed). How we research.
Client Relations
Edward D. Jones & Co., L.P., 12555 Manchester Road, Saint Louis, MO 63131
Estate Services — start with the decedent's local branch; Estates Hotline for attorneys and CPAs
Edward D. Jones & Co., L.P., 12555 Manchester Road, Saint Louis, MO 63131
Estate planning articles
Learn how to protect your Edward Jones accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
