How to name beneficiaries and fund a trust at First Citizens
Beneficiaries are managed in branch, by phone or by mail. Trust paperwork is taken in branch or by mail
There are two ways to keep your First Citizens 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 18 product types, First Citizens offers a range of transfer options. Some accounts support Payable on Death (POD) 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 First Citizens
Payable on Death (POD) beneficiary designation (for payable-on-death accounts) and IRA Beneficiary Designation form (for IRAs).
- Full legal name, date of birth, SSN, and relationship.
- Percentage allocations for primary and contingent beneficiaries.
- A form may be mailed for your completion and signature.
- Return the signed form by mail.
- Beneficiary name, date of birth, SSN, and relationship.
- Allocation percentages for each beneficiary.
Required Documents
- Beneficiary's full legal name
- Beneficiary's date of birth
- Beneficiary's Social Security number
- Beneficiary's relationship to you
- Percentage allocation for each primary and contingent beneficiary
- Government-issued photo ID (at a branch)
- Trust documentation (full trust document or Certificate of Trust).
- Government-issued ID for all trustees.
- Trust EIN (if applicable).
- Fill in the forms with trust name, date established, and trustee information.
- Include a copy of the trust document or Certificate of Trust.
- Include copies of government-issued ID for all trustees.
Required Documents
- Complete trust document or Certificate of Trust. Either is accepted. The Deposit Account Agreement lets First Citizens require evidence satisfactory to it of the existence of the trust agreement or will
- Proof of the identity of the trustees and of their authority to act. This covers the authority of any trustee or successor trustee to act
- Government-issued ID (for every trustee)
- Taxpayer identification number for the trust (if applicable)
- Trust name, date established and trustee information (on the retitling forms)
- Trust account application or retitling form
- Full legal name, date of birth, SSN, and relationship.
- Percentage allocations for primary and contingent beneficiaries.
- A form may be mailed for your completion and signature.
- Return the signed form by mail.
- Beneficiary name, date of birth, SSN, and relationship.
- Allocation percentages for each beneficiary.
Required Documents
- Beneficiary's full legal name
- Beneficiary's date of birth
- Beneficiary's Social Security number
- Beneficiary's relationship to you
- Percentage allocation for each primary and contingent beneficiary
- Government-issued photo ID (at a branch)
- Trust documentation (full trust document or Certificate of Trust).
- Government-issued ID for all trustees.
- Trust EIN (if applicable).
- Fill in the forms with trust name, date established, and trustee information.
- Include a copy of the trust document or Certificate of Trust.
- Include copies of government-issued ID for all trustees.
Required Documents
- Complete trust document or Certificate of Trust. Either is accepted. The Deposit Account Agreement lets First Citizens require evidence satisfactory to it of the existence of the trust agreement or will
- Proof of the identity of the trustees and of their authority to act. This covers the authority of any trustee or successor trustee to act
- Government-issued ID (for every trustee)
- Taxpayer identification number for the trust (if applicable)
- Trust name, date established and trustee information (on the retitling forms)
- Trust account application or retitling form
- Full legal name, date of birth, SSN, and relationship.
- Percentage allocations for primary and contingent beneficiaries.
- A form may be mailed for your completion and signature.
- Return the signed form by mail.
- Beneficiary name, date of birth, SSN, and relationship.
- Allocation percentages for each beneficiary.
Required Documents
- Beneficiary's full legal name
- Beneficiary's date of birth
- Beneficiary's Social Security number
- Beneficiary's relationship to you
- Percentage allocation for each primary and contingent beneficiary
- Government-issued photo ID (at a branch)
What First Citizens says about beneficiaries and trusts
Each section is First Citizens's own statement, with the document it comes from numbered under Sources.
Which accounts take a beneficiary2
- Payable-on-death account
Deposit accounts use the POD or statutory revocable trust account structure described in the Deposit Account Agreement.1
If the requirements for a valid POD or revocable trust account are not met, First Citizens may treat it as an individual or joint account and pay the funds to the last surviving owner's estate.1
- IRA
IRA beneficiaries are designated on a separate IRA beneficiary designation form, not the deposit POD form.2
Who can be named1
- A person, payable-on-death accounts
In some states First Citizens may restrict POD payees to natural persons, or to limited entities such as trusts or nonprofit organizations.1
How many beneficiaries, and how shares are split
- All accounts
Each beneficiary is named as primary or contingent, with percentage allocations totaling 100%.2
- Payable-on-death account
Surviving POD beneficiaries hold the balance as joint tenants without right of survivorship, unless state law requires otherwise. First Citizens may pay them in equal shares by separate checks, or by one check payable to all of them delivered to any one.1
Beneficiary forms First Citizens issues2
- Payable on Death (POD) beneficiary designation
For payable-on-death accounts. Completed by the account owner. Sent by the institution on request.2
- IRA Beneficiary Designation form
For IRAs. Completed by the account owner. Sent by the institution on request.2
What First Citizens's agreement says about beneficiaries4
- What the owner keeps while living
The account owner keeps total ownership and control during their lifetime, including the right to change beneficiaries. A POD designation does not create joint ownership.1
- A beneficiary who dies first
When the last surviving owner dies, the balance belongs to the POD beneficiaries who survive.1
- Joint accounts
Joint deposit accounts opened online can only be opened "with survivorship." Joint accounts opened in a branch or by phone can be "with," "without" or "no" survivorship, and a "without survivorship" account passes the deceased owner's share to their estate.1
- A designation and a will
Named beneficiaries override directions in a will.2
Which accounts a trust can hold1
- Fiduciary account
On a pass-through fiduciary account, First Citizens may require an Alternative Recordkeeping File listing the beneficial owners and their balances.1
Trust account forms First Citizens issues1
- Trust account application or retitling form
Completed by the trustee, with a representative in a branch or by mail. Sent by the institution on request.2
What First Citizens says about trust accounts2
- Successor trustees
If the trustee dies, First Citizens "may not be able to release any funds until a successor trustee is appointed and all other technical legal requirements have been satisfied."1
- Review of the trust document
Opening a trust account does not make First Citizens a trustee, and it takes on no obligation to monitor or enforce the trust's terms.1
Not in First Citizens's published guidance2
- An online way to name a beneficiary
- A beneficiary form to download
Sources2
- 1.Deposit Account Agreement (form 31-933409), 10/25
- 2.First Citizens branch and Customer Care Center guidance
Sources
Data sourced from First Citizens primary sources (18 pages reviewed). How we research.
Download these First Citizens instructions
Download instructions for the whole estateA printable PDF with the steps, required documents, and contact details — verified against First Citizens primary sources. Bring it to the branch or keep it beside the phone.
First Citizens estate support
Trust & Fiduciary Services (Wealth Management)
Phone
Institutional Trust Services
Delaware Trust Company
Hours
Website
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