How to name beneficiaries and fund a trust at First Hawaiian
Covers 7 deposit, 3 retirement, and 9 lending accounts — beneficiaries must be updated in-branch
Customer Service
First Hawaiian Bank, PO Box 3200, Honolulu, HI 96847
Wealth Management Group - Personal Trusts
Customer Service Center (death notification; no dedicated claims unit is published)
First Hawaiian Bank, PO Box 3200, Honolulu, HI 96847
There are two ways to keep your First Hawaiian 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.
First Hawaiian has 19 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.
- Full legal name and identifying information for the single named beneficiary (the Deposit Account Rules allow only one beneficiary per account)
- If the beneficiary is not a natural person (a trust or charity, for example), the Rules pay the account to that beneficiary if it is in existence at your death
Required Documents
- Trust name, date established, and tax ID (EIN or SSN)
Special Requirements
- P.O.D. authorizations must be signed in branch and are available only at Hawaii branches — not at the Guam or CNMI branches
- Only one beneficiary is allowed per account under the Deposit Account Rules; there is no percentage split among multiple named beneficiaries
- "In trust for" accounts can no longer be opened at Hawaii branches — they are opened at the Guam and CNMI branches, and an account with a P.O.D. authorization held at a Guam or CNMI branch is treated as an "in trust for" account
- On an "in trust for" account, funds are paid on the death of the last surviving trustee to the beneficiary, or jointly to the beneficiaries if more than one is living
- A P.O.D. beneficiary designation controls the account regardless of what your will says
- The IRA Request Form at https://www.fhb.com/en/personal/form-ira is an information request only, not a beneficiary designation form
Sources
Data sourced from First Hawaiian primary sources (39 pages reviewed). How we research.
Download these First Hawaiian instructions
Download instructions for the whole estateA printable PDF with the steps, required documents, and contact details — verified against First Hawaiian primary sources. Bring it to the branch or keep it beside the phone.
Customer Service
First Hawaiian Bank, PO Box 3200, Honolulu, HI 96847
Wealth Management Group - Personal Trusts
Customer Service Center (death notification; no dedicated claims unit is published)
First Hawaiian Bank, PO Box 3200, Honolulu, HI 96847
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