Estate planning at FRS
How to protect 4 FRS accounts — manage beneficiaries online, and file claims through FRS's Florida Division of Retirement (Department of Management Services)
MyFRS Financial Guidance Line
Florida Division of Retirement (Department of Management Services)
Florida Division of Retirement, P.O. Box 9000, Tallahassee, FL 32315-9000
MyFRS Financial Guidance Line / Division of Retirement (Survivor Benefits)
Florida Division of Retirement, P.O. Box 9000, Tallahassee, FL 32315-9000
FRS provides pension benefits that pass to a named survivor or beneficiary at death, outside of probate. The benefit FRS pays depends on the option the member elected and the beneficiary on record, which is why families should confirm designations well before they are needed.
FRS lets account holders update beneficiary designations online, by mail, and by phone. Trust funding options vary by account type—check with FRS for specifics.
There are two sides to estate planning at FRS: setting things up while you're alive, and the process survivors follow after a death.
Preparing your estate
Beneficiaries and trust funding
How to manage beneficiaries online, and review 4 account types at FRS.
View details →When someone dies
Death claim process
Contact FRS's Florida Division of Retirement (Department of Management Services) to file a claim. 5-step process, 5 required documents, and contact information for survivors.
View details →Reach FRS's Florida Division of Retirement (Department of Management Services) at 844-377-1888 for help with any of these procedures. Email inquiries can be sent to Retirement@dms.myflorida.com.
Because FRS serves a limited number of states, procedures for trust funding and beneficiary changes may differ depending on your location. Verify availability before starting.
Frequently asked questions
Options 3 and 4 provide a continuing monthly benefit only to a joint annuitant, who must be the member's spouse or another person who qualifies as a joint annuitant under FRS rules. Eligible joint annuitants are listed on the Joint Annuitant Information Sheet (JAD). A trust or estate cannot receive a continuing monthly joint-annuitant benefit; under Options 1 and 2, by contrast, a member may name any person, organization, trust, or the estate as beneficiary.
Pension Plan members who are active, inactive, or retired can view or update their beneficiary designation online through FRS Online at frs.fl.gov, or by filing the Beneficiary Designation Form (BEN-001) with the Division of Retirement. Investment Plan members complete the FRS Investment Plan Beneficiary Designation Form (IPBEN-1) online or on paper, or call the MyFRS Financial Guidance Line, Option 4. If a married Investment Plan member names someone other than the spouse as primary beneficiary, the spouse must sign to acknowledge the designation.
Sources
Data sourced from FRS primary sources (6 pages reviewed). How we research.
MyFRS Financial Guidance Line
Florida Division of Retirement (Department of Management Services)
Florida Division of Retirement, P.O. Box 9000, Tallahassee, FL 32315-9000
MyFRS Financial Guidance Line / Division of Retirement (Survivor Benefits)
Florida Division of Retirement, P.O. Box 9000, Tallahassee, FL 32315-9000
Estate planning articles
Learn how to protect your FRS accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
