How to name beneficiaries and fund a trust at Firefighters First
Covers 13 deposit, 8 retirement, 1 investment, and 2 lending accounts — beneficiaries must be updated in-branch
Member Services / Call Center
Firefighters First Credit Union, P.O. Box 60890, Los Angeles, CA 90060-0890
Member Services - Death Notification
Firefighters First Credit Union, P.O. Box 60890, Los Angeles, CA 90060-0890 (overnight: 1520 West Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91105)
The goal with your Firefighters First accounts is to make sure every account has a transfer mechanism in place—either a POD beneficiary designation or trust ownership. Because Firefighters First is a membership-based institution, trust retitling must maintain the membership eligibility requirement. Accounts without either one will require probate, which means court involvement and delays for your family.
Firefighters First has 24 product types, and the estate transfer rules differ across them. Some support Payable on Death (POD) designations, some can be retitled into a trust, and others will require probate if nothing is set up. Each is covered below.
Required Documents
- Trust name, date established, and tax ID (EIN or SSN)
Special Requirements
- POD (Payable on Death) designations available for deposit accounts
- Beneficiary designations for IRA and retirement accounts are set at account opening and can be updated by submitting a new form
- A trust can be named as POD beneficiary on deposit accounts
- Certificate of Trust form available for designating trust as beneficiary
- POD accounts bypass probate and pass directly to named beneficiaries
Sources
Data sourced from Firefighters First primary sources (22 pages reviewed). How we research.
Download these Firefighters First instructions
Download instructions for the whole estateA printable PDF with the steps, required documents, and contact details — verified against Firefighters First primary sources. Bring it to the branch or keep it beside the phone.
Member Services / Call Center
Firefighters First Credit Union, P.O. Box 60890, Los Angeles, CA 90060-0890
Member Services - Death Notification
Firefighters First Credit Union, P.O. Box 60890, Los Angeles, CA 90060-0890 (overnight: 1520 West Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91105)
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