How to name beneficiaries and fund a trust at First Foundation
Covers 8 deposit accounts — beneficiaries can be managed online
Brand change
First Foundation Bank merged into Sunflower Bank, N.A. on April 1, 2026 and now operates as "Sunflower Bank, N.A. dba First Foundation Bank" under FirstSun Capital Bancorp. During the transition the First Foundation name, logo, Client Support line (888-405-4332), and Private Wealth Management trust team continue unchanged; system migration and branch signage changes are anticipated by the end of Q3 2026. Effective April 2026.
The procedures below reflect First Foundation's accounts. Account servicing may transfer as the change takes effect.
Private Wealth Management — Trust & Estate Settlement
Client Support
First Foundation Bank, Attn: Client Support, 18101 Von Karman Ave., Ste. 750, Irvine, CA 92612
The key to protecting your First Foundation accounts is making sure each one has a transfer mechanism in place—either a beneficiary designation or trust ownership. Without one, the account goes through probate, adding time, cost, and court involvement for your family.
Each of First Foundation's 8 accounts has different rules for how it transfers at death. The sections below explain the options for each.
Required Documents
- Trust name, date established, and tax ID (EIN or SSN)
Special Requirements
- At an owner's death, single-party accounts pass as part of the estate, while POD-designated accounts pass directly to the named beneficiaries outside the estate
- No standalone POD/beneficiary designation form is published for download; designations are made during online account opening or with a banker
- The deposit agreement's ownership-and-beneficiary-designation section is written separately for California, Nevada, and Hawaii — the ownership form checked on the account record (single-party, multiple-party with survivorship, P.O.D., Totten trust, or trust subject to separate agreement) is what controls who receives the funds at death
- A Totten trust / "revocable trust or pay-on-death" account lets the creator change beneficiaries, change the account type, and withdraw the funds at any time; beneficiaries cannot withdraw until every person who created the account has died
Sources
Data sourced from First Foundation primary sources (17 pages reviewed). How we research.
Download these First Foundation instructions
Download instructions for the whole estateA printable PDF with the steps, required documents, and contact details — verified against First Foundation primary sources. Bring it to the branch or keep it beside the phone.
Private Wealth Management — Trust & Estate Settlement
Client Support
First Foundation Bank, Attn: Client Support, 18101 Von Karman Ave., Ste. 750, Irvine, CA 92612
Estate planning articles
Learn how to protect your First Foundation accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
