How to name beneficiaries and fund a trust at E*TRADE
Beneficiaries are managed online, by phone or by mail. Trust paperwork is taken online, by phone or by mail
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.
There are two ways to keep your E*TRADE investment accounts out of probate: adding beneficiary designations and retitling eligible accounts into a revocable living trust. Which approach works best depends on the account type and your overall estate plan.
With 19 product types, E*TRADE offers a range of transfer options. Some investment accounts support Transfer on Death (TOD) designations, others can be retitled into a trust, and some require probate if no beneficiary is designated. The sections below break down each step.
Beneficiary form at E*TRADE
Designation of Beneficiary - Brokerage Nonretirement Account (Transfer on Death) (for investment accounts), IRA Designation of Beneficiary (for IRAs), Designation of Beneficiary (Qualified Plan) (for employer retirement plans) and Designation of Beneficiary - Bank Account (Payable on Death) (for payable-on-death accounts).
Open the form →- Navigate to Customer Service > Account Management > Transfer on Death (TOD) Registration
- Add primary beneficiaries with percentage allocations totaling 100%
- Optionally add contingent (secondary) beneficiaries
- Provide each beneficiary's name, relationship, percentage, SSN, and address
- IRA accounts: use the separate Designation of Beneficiary (IRA) form online or download the PDF
- Bank accounts (POD): download the Designation of Beneficiary - Bank Account form from forms-applications
- Your account number and beneficiary details
- Request TOD, IRA beneficiary, or bank POD designation forms
- Brokerage: Designation of Beneficiary - Brokerage Nonretirement Account (Transfer on Death)
- IRA: IRA Designation of Beneficiary, also offered online on the forms page or via DocuSign
- Qualified plan / Individual 401(k): Designation of Beneficiary (Qualified Plan)
- Bank: Designation of Beneficiary - Bank Account (Payable on Death)
- Upload at documentupload.etrade.com (brokerage) or etrade.com/uploaddocuments (Morgan Stanley Private Bank)
- Fax: 1-866-650-0003 (from outside the US: +1-678-624-6950); include a fax cover sheet. Notarized documents and stock certificates cannot be faxed
- Brokerage mail: E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley, P.O. Box 484, Jersey City, NJ 07303-0484
- Bank mail: Morgan Stanley Private Bank, P.O. Box 484, Jersey City, NJ 07303-0484
- Overnight mail: Harborside 2, 200 Hudson Street, Suite 501, Jersey City, NJ 07311
Required Documents
- Each beneficiary's name and relationship
- Each beneficiary's Social Security number
- Each beneficiary's address
- Each beneficiary's percentage share
- Trust name, date established and EIN (for a trust as beneficiary). On the bank POD form, enter the trust name and the date of the trust, not the trustee
- Spouse's signature on the Spousal Waiver in Section 3 (for a married owner in a community property state who names someone other than the spouse as 100% primary beneficiary). Submit all pages even if the Spousal Consent section is blank
- Your account number (by phone)
- Navigate to Customer Service > Account Management > Transfer on Death (TOD) Registration
- Add primary beneficiaries with percentage allocations totaling 100%
- Optionally add contingent (secondary) beneficiaries
- Provide each beneficiary's name, relationship, percentage, SSN, and address
- IRA accounts: use the separate Designation of Beneficiary (IRA) form online or download the PDF
- Bank accounts (POD): download the Designation of Beneficiary - Bank Account form from forms-applications
- Your account number and beneficiary details
- Request TOD, IRA beneficiary, or bank POD designation forms
- Brokerage: Designation of Beneficiary - Brokerage Nonretirement Account (Transfer on Death)
- IRA: IRA Designation of Beneficiary, also offered online on the forms page or via DocuSign
- Qualified plan / Individual 401(k): Designation of Beneficiary (Qualified Plan)
- Bank: Designation of Beneficiary - Bank Account (Payable on Death)
- Upload at documentupload.etrade.com (brokerage) or etrade.com/uploaddocuments (Morgan Stanley Private Bank)
- Fax: 1-866-650-0003 (from outside the US: +1-678-624-6950); include a fax cover sheet. Notarized documents and stock certificates cannot be faxed
- Brokerage mail: E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley, P.O. Box 484, Jersey City, NJ 07303-0484
- Bank mail: Morgan Stanley Private Bank, P.O. Box 484, Jersey City, NJ 07303-0484
- Overnight mail: Harborside 2, 200 Hudson Street, Suite 501, Jersey City, NJ 07311
Required Documents
- Each beneficiary's name and relationship
- Each beneficiary's Social Security number
- Each beneficiary's address
- Each beneficiary's percentage share
- Trust name, date established and EIN (for a trust as beneficiary). On the bank POD form, enter the trust name and the date of the trust, not the trustee
- Spouse's signature on the Spousal Waiver in Section 3 (for a married owner in a community property state who names someone other than the spouse as 100% primary beneficiary). Submit all pages even if the Spousal Consent section is blank
- Your account number (by phone)
- Provide trust name, date established, and all trustee information
- Upload required trust documentation through the DocuSign process
- A representative will send the required forms and guide you through the process
- Submit completed forms via Document Upload or by mail
- Brokerage Trust Application PDF (for brokerage securities accounts)
- Account Application for Estates and Trusts (for trust, estate, or legal trust Morgan Stanley Private Bank deposits)
- Trust reporting under the grantor's SSN, trustee is the grantor: completed application + Trust Agreement (1st and Signature Pages Only)
- Trust reporting under the grantor's SSN, trustee is not the grantor: completed application with the grantor's signature in Section 12 + Trust Agreement (1st and Signature Pages Only)
- Trust reporting under an EIN: completed application + Trust Agreement (1st and Signature Pages Only)
- Testamentary trust: completed application + the Will + an original death certificate and proof of court filing
- Section 3 asks whether each grantor is living or deceased; a certified death certificate is required for any grantor marked deceased
- If there are more grantors than the form has space for, add the Grantor Supplement Form
- If E*TRADE cannot verify the entity it will request IRS Letter 147C validating the tax ID (IRS Business and Specialty Tax Line, 800-829-4933) plus a utility bill or bank statement
- Upload via Document Upload on etrade.com
- Or mail to: E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley, P.O. Box 484, Jersey City, NJ 07303-0484
- For overnight mail: Harborside 2, 200 Hudson Street, Suite 501, Jersey City, NJ 07311-1113
Required Documents
- Brokerage Trust Application or Account Application for Estates and Trusts, completed. The Brokerage Trust Application for brokerage securities; the Morgan Stanley Private Bank Account Application for Estates and Trusts for deposit accounts
- Trust agreement, first and signature pages only. The application chart asks for nothing more for an SSN-reporting or EIN-reporting trust; a full trust agreement is also accepted. Documents submitted "will not be returned."
- Trust Employer Identification Number (EIN). Or the grantor's SSN for a revocable grantor trust
- Trust name, date and all trustee information
- Government-issued ID (for all trustees)
- Grantor's signature in Section 12 (when the trustee is not the grantor)
- Certified death certificate (for any grantor marked deceased in Section 3)
- The Will, an original death certificate and proof of court filing (for a testamentary trust)
- Grantor Supplement Form (when there are more grantors than the application has space for)
- IRS Letter 147C and a utility bill or bank statement (only if E*TRADE cannot otherwise verify the entity)
- Navigate to Customer Service > Account Management > Transfer on Death (TOD) Registration
- Add primary beneficiaries with percentage allocations totaling 100%
- Optionally add contingent (secondary) beneficiaries
- Provide each beneficiary's name, relationship, percentage, SSN, and address
- IRA accounts: use the separate Designation of Beneficiary (IRA) form online or download the PDF
- Bank accounts (POD): download the Designation of Beneficiary - Bank Account form from forms-applications
- Your account number and beneficiary details
- Request TOD, IRA beneficiary, or bank POD designation forms
- Brokerage: Designation of Beneficiary - Brokerage Nonretirement Account (Transfer on Death)
- IRA: IRA Designation of Beneficiary, also offered online on the forms page or via DocuSign
- Qualified plan / Individual 401(k): Designation of Beneficiary (Qualified Plan)
- Bank: Designation of Beneficiary - Bank Account (Payable on Death)
- Upload at documentupload.etrade.com (brokerage) or etrade.com/uploaddocuments (Morgan Stanley Private Bank)
- Fax: 1-866-650-0003 (from outside the US: +1-678-624-6950); include a fax cover sheet. Notarized documents and stock certificates cannot be faxed
- Brokerage mail: E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley, P.O. Box 484, Jersey City, NJ 07303-0484
- Bank mail: Morgan Stanley Private Bank, P.O. Box 484, Jersey City, NJ 07303-0484
- Overnight mail: Harborside 2, 200 Hudson Street, Suite 501, Jersey City, NJ 07311
Required Documents
- Each beneficiary's name and relationship
- Each beneficiary's Social Security number
- Each beneficiary's address
- Each beneficiary's percentage share
- Trust name, date established and EIN (for a trust as beneficiary). On the bank POD form, enter the trust name and the date of the trust, not the trustee
- Spouse's signature on the Spousal Waiver in Section 3 (for a married owner in a community property state who names someone other than the spouse as 100% primary beneficiary). Submit all pages even if the Spousal Consent section is blank
- Your account number (by phone)
Beneficiary designation is not available for cryptocurrency at E*TRADE.
What E*TRADE says about beneficiaries and trusts
Each section is E*TRADE's own statement, with the document it comes from numbered under Sources.
Which accounts take a beneficiary3
- Investment account
The TOD form can only be used on Individual and JTWROS brokerage accounts.1
A TOD registration reaches only the brokerage account it is filed on. Opening a new eligible account requires a new TOD form.1
- Payable-on-death account
The bank POD form can only be used on Individual and JTWROS Morgan Stanley Private Bank accounts.2
- Crypto account
A linked Zerohash crypto account is a non-brokerage account the TOD form does not cover.1
Who can be named2
How many beneficiaries, and how shares are split
- All accounts
Primary shares must total 100%, and contingent (secondary) beneficiaries can be added with shares that also total 100%.3
- Investment account
If only one beneficiary is listed with no share percentage, the form deems that beneficiary 100% primary. If primary or contingent is not marked, the beneficiary is deemed primary.1
What a designation takes to be effective
- All accounts
Married residents of AZ, CA, ID, LA, NV, NM, TX, WA, WI, Guam or Puerto Rico who name someone other than their spouse as 100% primary beneficiary must have the spouse sign the waiver in Section 3 of the TOD or bank POD form.1, 2
No Medallion Signature Guarantee or notarization is required on the TOD or bank POD designation forms.1, 2
- Investment account
Married community property state residents naming a non-spouse primary beneficiary cannot use the online TOD tool and must submit the paper form.1
Beneficiary forms E*TRADE issues4
- Designation of Beneficiary - Brokerage Nonretirement Account (Transfer on Death)
For investment accounts. Available to download.1
Return to
Fax: 1-866-650-0003
Mailing address: E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley, P.O. Box 484, Jersey City, NJ 07303-0484
- IRA Designation of Beneficiary
For IRAs. Available to download.4
Return to
Mailing address: Harborside 2, 200 Hudson Street, Suite 501, Jersey City, NJ 07311
- Designation of Beneficiary (Qualified Plan)
For employer retirement plans. Available to download.5
- Designation of Beneficiary - Bank Account (Payable on Death)
For payable-on-death accounts. Available to download.2
Return to
Fax: 1-866-650-0003
Mailing address: Morgan Stanley Private Bank, P.O. Box 484, Jersey City, NJ 07303-0484
What E*TRADE's agreement says about beneficiaries4
- Changing or revoking a designation
A new designation replaces all previous beneficiary designations on that account. Designations made at another firm are not recognized.1
- No beneficiary survives
If no primary or contingent beneficiary survives the account holder, the assets pass to the account holder's estate.1
- Which state governs the account
The TOD registration is governed by New York law wherever the account holder lives: the form states it "shall be deemed to have been made in the State of New York."1
The account holder certifies that their state of residence permits TOD registration. Morgan Stanley does not verify state-law compliance.1
- Who can see the designation
Morgan Stanley "has no obligation to locate or notify any beneficiary of an Account Holder or personal representative of the Account Holder's estate about the Account."1
Which accounts a trust can hold1
- Investment account
Trust brokerage accounts can hold investments but not Core Portfolios, which is not available for trusts, charitable organizations, corporations, institutional or business accounts.3
Trust account forms E*TRADE issues2
- Brokerage Trust Application
For investment accounts. Available to download.6
Return to
Mailing address: E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley, P.O. Box 484, Jersey City, NJ 07303-0484
- Account Application for Estates and Trusts
Available to download.7
What E*TRADE says about trust accounts1
- Successor trustees
Section 3 of the application asks whether each grantor is living or deceased, and a certified death certificate is required for any grantor marked deceased. This is the successor-trustee path after a grantor's death.6
Sources7
- 1.Designation of Beneficiary - Brokerage Nonretirement Account (Transfer on Death), rev 0825-NONIRATOD-B69044
- 2.Designation of Beneficiary - Bank Account (Payable on Death), rev 06/2026
- 3.Forms & Applications
- 4.IRA Designation of Beneficiary, rev 0625-DBIRA-B69006
- 5.Designation of Beneficiary (Qualified Plan)
- 6.Brokerage Trust Application, rev 0526-TRUSTAPP-B69098
- 7.Account Application for Estates and Trusts
Sources
Data sourced from E*TRADE primary sources (28 pages reviewed). How we research.
Download these E*TRADE instructions
Download instructions for the whole estateA printable PDF with the steps, required documents, and contact details — verified against E*TRADE primary sources. Bring it to the branch or keep it beside the phone.
E*TRADE estate support
Phone
Morgan Stanley at Work Stock Plan Account
Designated Brokerage
International Fax
Fax
Mailing address
Website
Estate requests go through general customer service.
Estate planning articles
Learn how to protect your E*TRADE accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
Is this your situation?
Get a complete guide for your specific circumstances.
New Baby or Adoption
Your family is growing. Your protection should too. Guardian nominations, trusts for minors, beneficiary updates, and the documents new parents need in place.
Learn more
Marriage
What married couples need in place: one joint trust or two, wills, beneficiary updates, and the spousal rights your state grants you automatically.
Learn more
New Home
How to put your house in a revocable trust: the deed you record, what it does to your mortgage and property taxes, and when a TOD deed is simpler.
Learn more
Retirement
Retirement changes your financial picture. Healthcare directives, beneficiary reviews, long-term care planning, and protecting what you've built.
Learn moreForms for Planning Your Estate
Free forms for planning your estate: a will, living trust, pour-over will, both powers of attorney, living will, and TOD deed.
Revocable Living Trust
Create a revocable living trust to avoid probate, protect privacy, and control asset distribution.
Last Will and Testament
Name your heirs, guardians, and final wishes. Free for every state.
Transfer on Death Deed
Transfer real property to a beneficiary upon your death without probate. Available in 34 states and the District of Columbia.
Tools for Planning Your Estate
Free tools for planning your estate: what a will or trust costs, whether you need a trust or TOD deed, and how documents are signed.
How Much Does a Revocable Living Trust Cost?
Compare revocable living trust costs across providers including online services and attorneys.
How Does SimplyTrust Compare to LegalZoom, Trust & Will, and Other Services?
Compare what it costs to make a trust official across SimplyTrust, LegalZoom, Trust & Will, Rocket Lawyer, and Quicken WillMaker.
Do I Need a Revocable Trust?
Find out if a revocable trust makes sense based on your state, estate value, and family situation.
Trust or Will: Which Costs Less?
Compare the cost of probate vs a trust for your state and estate value.
What Does Estate Planning Actually Cost?
Compare costs across estate planning providers including online services and attorneys.
How Much Life Insurance Do I Need?
Calculate your life insurance needs based on income, debts, and family situation.
