How to name beneficiaries and fund a trust at Empower
Covers 10 retirement, 2 investment, and 1 deposit accounts — beneficiaries can be managed online
Phone1-855-756-4738
Workplace Plans
Individual IRAs (Investor Services, Mon-Fri 6 AM - 6 PM MT)
Government/Taft-Hartley/Healthcare/Education/Faith Plans
Personal Cash (Mon-Fri 8 AM - 8 PM ET)
Empower Brokerage
Prospective Plan Sponsors (Core Markets)
WebsiteLearn more→
Phone1-855-756-4738
Workplace Plans
Individual IRAs (Investor Services, Mon-Fri 6 AM - 6 PM MT)
Government/Taft-Hartley/Healthcare/Education/Faith Plans
Personal Cash (Mon-Fri 8 AM - 8 PM ET)
Empower Brokerage
Prospective Plan Sponsors (Core Markets)
WebsiteLearn more→
Beneficiary Support Services
Phone1-866-442-3888
Toll-Free1-866-442-3888
Fax1-866-633-5212
Mailing Address
Empower, P.O. Box 173764, Denver, CO 80217-3764. Express mail: Empower, 8515 E. Orchard Rd., Greenwood Village, CO 80111.
IRA Claims (Mon-Fri 6 AM - 6 PM MT)
WebsiteNotify online→
Verified Apr 2026
Estate planning for Empower 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.
Across 13 product types, Empower retirement accounts vary in how they transfer at death. The sections below walk through beneficiary designations on tax-advantaged accounts, trust funding options, and which products support each method.
Empower Personal Cash
1
Log in to your Empower account at empower.com
2
Navigate to the beneficiaries section in your account settings
3
Select the account you want to update
4
Configure your beneficiary designations:
- Add or edit primary and contingent beneficiaries
- For trusts: select trust as the beneficiary type and provide the trust name, date established, and EIN
- Specify percentage allocations for multiple beneficiaries (must total 100%)
5
Review and confirm your beneficiary elections
Required Documents
- Trust name, date established, and tax ID (EIN or SSN)
Special Requirements
- Trusts can be named as beneficiaries on all Empower account types
- Spousal consent is required for ERISA-covered qualified plans (401(k), 403(b), pension) when naming a non-spouse primary beneficiary
- Primary and contingent beneficiaries allowed; percentage allocations must total 100%
- Per stirpes designation may be available depending on the plan
- Beneficiary designations override instructions in a will
- For employer-sponsored plans, beneficiary options may be governed by the plan document
- Empower Personal Cash accounts support primary beneficiaries only (no contingent beneficiaries); beneficiaries can only be added via full web browser
Phone1-855-756-4738
Workplace Plans
Individual IRAs (Investor Services, Mon-Fri 6 AM - 6 PM MT)
Government/Taft-Hartley/Healthcare/Education/Faith Plans
Personal Cash (Mon-Fri 8 AM - 8 PM ET)
Empower Brokerage
Prospective Plan Sponsors (Core Markets)
WebsiteLearn more→
Phone1-855-756-4738
Workplace Plans
Individual IRAs (Investor Services, Mon-Fri 6 AM - 6 PM MT)
Government/Taft-Hartley/Healthcare/Education/Faith Plans
Personal Cash (Mon-Fri 8 AM - 8 PM ET)
Empower Brokerage
Prospective Plan Sponsors (Core Markets)
WebsiteLearn more→
Beneficiary Support Services
Phone1-866-442-3888
Toll-Free1-866-442-3888
Fax1-866-633-5212
Mailing Address
Empower, P.O. Box 173764, Denver, CO 80217-3764. Express mail: Empower, 8515 E. Orchard Rd., Greenwood Village, CO 80111.
IRA Claims (Mon-Fri 6 AM - 6 PM MT)
WebsiteNotify online→
Verified Apr 2026
Estate planning articles
Learn how to protect your Empower accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
