Estate planning at ESL Federal CU
How to protect 16 ESL Federal CU accounts — manage beneficiaries in-branch, fund a trust in-branch, and file claims through ESL Federal CU's ESL Trust Services, LLC
ESL Federal Credit Union, P.O. Box 92714, Rochester, NY 14692-8814
ESL Trust Services, LLC
225 Chestnut Street, Rochester, NY 14604
Customer Case Specialist Team
ESL Federal Credit Union, 225 Chestnut Street, Rochester, NY 14604
ESL Federal CU offers 16 accounts, each with its own rules for what happens when a member dies. As a membership-based credit union, ESL Federal CU serves members in the Rochester, New York metropolitan area. Membership is open to anyone who lives, works, worships, or attends school in the counties of Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Orleans, Seneca, Steuben, Wayne, Wyoming, or Yates through a complimentary membership in the George Eastman Museum. Also open to employees of Eastman Kodak and other eligible employer groups. Some transfer automatically to a named beneficiary, others can be held in a trust, and a few may require probate if no plan is in place.
Beneficiary designations at ESL Federal CU can be managed in branch and by mail, typically taking 15 minutes to complete; processing time varies. Trust funding is also available, allowing families to retitle accounts into the name of a revocable living trust.
There are two sides to estate planning at ESL Federal CU: setting things up while you're alive, and the process survivors follow after a death.
Preparing your estate
Beneficiaries and trust funding
How to update beneficiaries in-branch, fund a trust in-branch, and review 16 account types at ESL Federal CU.
View details →When someone dies
Death claim process
Contact ESL Federal CU's ESL Trust Services, LLC to file a claim. 7-step process, 9 required documents, and contact information for survivors.
View details →ESL Federal CU's ESL Trust Services, LLC can answer questions about beneficiaries, trusts, or death claims at 585-336-1300.
ESL Federal CU is not available nationwide. Estate planning procedures may vary by state, so confirm that your location is served before making account changes.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. ESL Trust Services, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of ESL Federal Credit Union, provides trust administration, estate settlement, fiduciary investment management, and corporate trustee/executor services. ESL Trust Services received New York State authorization in July 2017. Contact the Trust Services team at 585-336-1300, Monday-Friday 8 AM - 5 PM ET. Trust and investment products are not NCUA or FDIC insured.
Yes. ESL Trust Services, LLC can serve as corporate trustee or executor. Their team manages administration, investments, tax preparation, and record keeping. They collaborate with your attorney on the financial implications of your plan. Contact ESL Trust Services at 585-336-1300. These services are provided through the ESL Trust Services subsidiary and are not NCUA or FDIC insured.
Yes, but ESL is a member-owned credit union, so trust deposit accounts require a membership tie. Under the ESL Savings and Checking Disclosure, a revocable trust may open an account only if the trust's grantor is an ESL member; an irrevocable trust may open one when either the grantor is a member or all trust beneficiaries qualify for ESL membership. ESL may also require an irrevocable trust to name its beneficiaries so they can be attached to the trust's accounts. To title an account in your trust, bring the trust document or a certification of trust, government-issued ID for all trustees, and the trust's TIN/EIN to any full-service branch, or call 585-336-1000. For professionally managed trusts, ESL Trust Services, LLC (585-336-1300) administers trust assets separately.
Sources
Data sourced from ESL Federal CU primary sources (24 pages reviewed). How we research.
ESL Federal Credit Union, P.O. Box 92714, Rochester, NY 14692-8814
ESL Trust Services, LLC
225 Chestnut Street, Rochester, NY 14604
Customer Case Specialist Team
ESL Federal Credit Union, 225 Chestnut Street, Rochester, NY 14604
Estate planning articles
Learn how to protect your ESL Federal CU accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
