How to name beneficiaries and fund a trust at ESL Federal CU

Covers 9 deposit, 3 retirement, and 4 investment accounts — beneficiaries must be updated in-branch

ESL Federal CU

Credit Union · Regional

esl.org
ESL Federal CU logo
Fax585-336-1138
Mailing Address

ESL Federal Credit Union, P.O. Box 92714, Rochester, NY 14692-8814

TTY (toll-free)
ESL Investment Services

ESL Trust Services, LLC

Mailing Address

225 Chestnut Street, Rochester, NY 14604

Customer Case Specialist Team

Fax585-336-1283
Mailing Address

ESL Federal Credit Union, 225 Chestnut Street, Rochester, NY 14604

Verified Jul 2026

Preparing your ESL Federal CU accounts for estate transfer involves two key steps: designating beneficiaries on each account and, where appropriate, retitling accounts into a trust. Because ESL Federal CU is a membership-based institution, trust retitling must maintain the membership eligibility requirement. Accounts with Payable on Death designations or trust ownership bypass probate entirely.

Across 16 product types, ESL Federal CU accounts vary in how they transfer at death. The sections below walk through Payable on Death (POD) designations, trust funding options, and which products support each method.

ESL Free CheckingESL Premier CheckingESL Primary SavingsESL Daily DividendESL Money MakerESL Premier Money MakerESL Tiered Savings AccountESL Health Savings AccountESL Certificate
1
Visit any ESL full-service branch
2
Bring required materials:
  • Government-issued photo ID
  • Payable on Death (POD) beneficiary designation form (available at branch)
3
Complete the form with beneficiary details
4
All account owners must sign the form

Required Documents

  • Trust name, date established, and tax ID (EIN or SSN)

Special Requirements

  • ESL does not publish a POD or beneficiary form as a public PDF; request it in-branch or by calling 585-336-1000 / 800-848-2265 (TTY 585-336-1399)
  • POD designations apply to deposit accounts including checking, savings, money maker, and certificates
  • IRA, HSA, and Coverdell ESA accounts use separate beneficiary designation processes
  • Funds in POD accounts are generally not part of the account owner's probate estate
  • POD accounts are disbursed to then-living beneficiaries upon the death of all account owners
  • Submitting a new POD designation replaces all prior beneficiary designations on the account
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Sources

Data sourced from ESL Federal CU primary sources (24 pages reviewed). How we research.

Download these ESL Federal CU instructions

Download instructions for the whole estate

A printable PDF with the steps, required documents, and contact details — verified against ESL Federal CU primary sources. Bring it to the branch or keep it beside the phone.

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