How to designate beneficiaries at Employee Fiduciary
Beneficiaries are managed by phone or by mail
Estate planning for Employee Fiduciary retirement retirement accounts revolves around beneficiary designations. These designations—not a will—control who receives the account balance at death. For IRAs and employer-sponsored plans, the beneficiary designation also determines the tax treatment of inherited distributions, making it a decision with both legal and financial implications.
Each of Employee Fiduciary's 4 retirement accounts has different rules for how it transfers at death. The sections below explain the options for each.
Beneficiary form at Employee Fiduciary
Beneficiary Designation Form (for employer retirement plans).
- Participant name, Social Security number, and date of birth
- Primary beneficiaries with full legal names, dates of birth, relationships, Social Security numbers, and percentage allocations
- Contingent beneficiaries if desired
- For trusts: the full legal trust name exactly as it appears on the trust document, the date established, and the trust EIN
Required Documents
- Your name, Social Security number and date of birth (on the form)
- Beneficiary's full legal name, date of birth and relationship
- Beneficiary's Social Security number
- Percentage allocation for each beneficiary. Allocations must total 100%
- Trust name, date established and trust EIN (when naming a trust). The full legal trust name exactly as it appears on the trust document
- Trust document or Certificate of Trust (when naming a trust). The full trust document or a Certificate of Trust (Certification of Trust)
- Trust EIN documentation (when naming a trust). IRS Letter 147C or SS-4 confirmation
- Government-issued ID for the trustee(s) (when naming a trust)
- Beneficiary Designation Form, signed and dated
What Employee Fiduciary says about beneficiaries and trusts
Each section is Employee Fiduciary's own statement, with the document it comes from numbered under Sources.
Which accounts take a beneficiary1
- Employer retirement plan
Employee Fiduciary's participant FAQ answers "How do I update my beneficiary?" with "You must contact your plan sponsor." As the recordkeeper, not the plan sponsor, it has the completed form go back through the employer.1
Beneficiary options may be governed by the specific plan document.1
Who can be named1
- A trust
A trust can be named as beneficiary on every Employee Fiduciary retirement plan account.1
How many beneficiaries, and how shares are split
- All accounts
Primary and contingent beneficiaries are allowed, and percentage allocations must total 100%.1
Beneficiary forms Employee Fiduciary issues1
- Beneficiary Designation Form
For employer retirement plans. Completed by the participant, returned to the plan sponsor or mailed to Employee Fiduciary. Sent by the institution on request.1
Return to
Fax: 1-251-436-0801
Mailing address: Employee Fiduciary, 205 N. Conception St., Mobile, AL 36603
What Employee Fiduciary's agreement says about beneficiaries2
What Employee Fiduciary says about trust accounts1
- Whether a new account is opened
Retirement accounts administered by Employee Fiduciary (401(k), 403(b), Solo 401(k)) cannot be retitled to a trust during the account owner's lifetime.1
Not in Employee Fiduciary's published guidance2
- An online way to name a beneficiary
- Which trust documents it accepts
Sources2
Sources
Data sourced from Employee Fiduciary primary sources (15 pages reviewed). How we research.
Download these Employee Fiduciary instructions
Download instructions for the whole estateA printable PDF with the steps, required documents, and contact details — verified against Employee Fiduciary primary sources. Bring it to the branch or keep it beside the phone.
Employee Fiduciary estate support
Participant Support
Phone
Participant Support (ext. 1)
Sales (ext. 2)
Hours
Website
Estate requests go through general customer service.
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