How to name beneficiaries and fund a trust at First Merchants
Covers 11 deposit, 2 retirement, 1 investment, and 4 lending accounts — beneficiaries must be updated in-branch
Customer Service
Phone765-747-1300
Toll-Free1-800-205-3464
Mailing Address
First Merchants Bank, PO Box 549, Daleville, IN 47334
Telephone Banking (24/7)
Private Wealth Advisors
Treasury Solutions
Lost/Stolen Credit Card (Elan)
WebsiteLearn more→
Private Wealth Advisors - Fiduciary Services
Phone765-747-1300
Toll-Free1-866-238-0082
WebsiteLearn more→
Death Claims (handled through Customer Service and the banking center; no dedicated estate-claims department is published)
Phone765-747-1300
Toll-Free1-800-205-3464
Mailing Address
First Merchants Bank, PO Box 549, Daleville, IN 47334
Private Wealth Advisors (trust, investment, and IRA accounts)
Dovenmuehle Mortgage (DMI) - mortgage subservicer, Successor in Interest
Elan Financial Services - credit card estate balances
WebsiteNotify online→
Verified Jul 2026
There are two ways to keep your First Merchants 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 Merchants has 18 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.
Prosper CheckingProsper Plus CheckingCarefree CheckingElite CheckingFirst Direct CheckingSimple Access AccountAdvantage CheckingSavings AccountMoney Market SavingsTraditional CDSmart Saver CD
1
Visit a First Merchants banking center with government-issued photo ID
2
Request a POD (Payable on Death) beneficiary designation form for your deposit accounts
3
Provide beneficiary details:
- Full legal name and Social Security number for each beneficiary
- Percentage allocations if naming multiple beneficiaries
4
On an Indiana account, tell the banker which of the two POD variants you want: "Pay-on-Death Account with LDPS," where a beneficiary who dies before you is replaced by that beneficiary's lineal descendants per stirpes, or "Pay-on-Death Account No LDPS," where a predeceased beneficiary drops out and the surviving beneficiaries take (Ind. Code 32-17-14; deposit account agreement section (7a))
5
Sign the completed form with a banking representative
Required Documents
- Trust name, date established, and tax ID (EIN or SSN)
Special Requirements
- First Merchants does not publish a downloadable beneficiary form or an online beneficiary-management screen -- POD designations are made with a banker or by calling 1-800-205-3464
- Indiana accounts offer TWO POD variants under the Transfer on Death Property Act (Ind. Code 32-17-14): "with LDPS" (lineal descendants per stirpes substitute for a predeceased beneficiary) and "No LDPS" (a predeceased beneficiary's share is reallocated among the surviving beneficiaries). Ask for the one you want by name -- the choice only matters if a beneficiary dies before you.
- If no beneficiary survives the owner and no LDPS substitute exists, the account belongs to the owner's estate and goes through probate (deposit account agreement, Additional Transfer on Death Property Act Rules)
- Under the deposit account agreement, the person(s) who created a POD account may change beneficiaries, change account types, and withdraw all or part of the funds at any time
- Michigan and Ohio accounts use the plain "Revocable Trust or Pay-On-Death Account" rule -- beneficiaries cannot withdraw until all persons who created the account have died and the beneficiary is then living
- Named beneficiaries override your will
Sources
Data sourced from First Merchants primary sources (28 pages reviewed). How we research.
Download these First Merchants instructions
Download instructions for the whole estateA printable PDF with the steps, required documents, and contact details — verified against First Merchants primary sources. Bring it to the branch or keep it beside the phone.
Customer Service
Phone765-747-1300
Toll-Free1-800-205-3464
Mailing Address
First Merchants Bank, PO Box 549, Daleville, IN 47334
Telephone Banking (24/7)
Private Wealth Advisors
Treasury Solutions
Lost/Stolen Credit Card (Elan)
WebsiteLearn more→
Private Wealth Advisors - Fiduciary Services
Phone765-747-1300
Toll-Free1-866-238-0082
WebsiteLearn more→
Death Claims (handled through Customer Service and the banking center; no dedicated estate-claims department is published)
Phone765-747-1300
Toll-Free1-800-205-3464
Mailing Address
First Merchants Bank, PO Box 549, Daleville, IN 47334
Private Wealth Advisors (trust, investment, and IRA accounts)
Dovenmuehle Mortgage (DMI) - mortgage subservicer, Successor in Interest
Elan Financial Services - credit card estate balances
WebsiteNotify online→
Verified Jul 2026
Estate planning articles
Learn how to protect your First Merchants accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
