Estate planning and settlement at E*TRADE
Name beneficiaries online, fund a trust online, and report a death at 1-888-402-0653
E*TRADE is now part of Morgan StanleyAcquired, effective October 2020
Morgan Stanley completed its acquisition of E*TRADE on October 2, 2020, and the brand now operates as "E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley." Re-confirmed 2026-09-11: there is no brand retirement and no migration of self-directed accounts to Morgan Stanley Wealth Management. Every current form and page carries the same structure — "E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley (E*TRADE) is a business of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC" (Notify E*TRADE of a Death, rev 0825-DTHNT-B69052); securities and advisory through Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (Member SIPC, Registered Investment Adviser); banking through Morgan Stanley Private Bank, N.A. (Member FDIC); futures through E*TRADE Futures LLC (Member NFA); stock plans through E*TRADE Financial Corporate Services, Inc. Morgan Stanley is still investing in the brand — it launched E*TRADE crypto spot trading on 2026-07-16. Estate and beneficiary claims are still opened at the E*TRADE Beneficiary Services line (888-402-0653) and etrade_estates@morganstanley.com, not through the Morgan Stanley wealth-management channel; if the decedent also held a Morgan Stanley advisory account, that is a separate relationship and a separate claim.
E*TRADE offers 19 consumer investment accounts that interact with estate planning in distinct ways. Of those, 15 can name a trust as beneficiary or be retitled into a trust. Understanding the transfer methods available for each account type helps families keep assets out of probate and ensure they pass to the right people.
E*TRADE lets account holders update beneficiary designations online, by phone, and by mail, typically taking 15 to 30 minutes. Trust funding is also available, allowing families to retitle brokerage accounts into a trust.
E*TRADE provides specific procedures for both proactive estate planning and filing claims after a death.
Beneficiaries and trust funding
How to manage beneficiaries online, fund a trust online, and review 19 account types at E*TRADE.
Preparing your estate →Death claim process
Report the death to E*TRADE Beneficiary Services at 1-888-402-0653. The page lists the steps and the documents to send.
When someone dies →
Sources
Data sourced from E*TRADE primary sources (32 pages reviewed). How we research.
E*TRADE customer support
Phone
Morgan Stanley at Work Stock Plan Account
Designated Brokerage
International Fax
Fax
Mailing address
Website
Estate planning articles
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