How to name beneficiaries and fund a trust at Fundrise
Beneficiaries are managed online, by phone or by mail. Trust paperwork is taken online or by mail
Estate planning for your Fundrise investment accounts starts with understanding how each one transfers at death. Beneficiary designations and trust retitling both bypass probate, but the right approach depends on the account type, your tax situation, and how much control you want over distributions.
Fundrise offers 8 investment accounts, each with its own transfer rules. The sections below cover how to set up beneficiaries, fund a trust, and which products support each approach.
- Use the Relationship dropdown to select Trust, Entity, Estate, or Individual
- Enter the beneficiary name and percentage allocation
- For a trust beneficiary: select Trust and enter the trust name
Required Documents
- Beneficiary type: Individual, Trust, Entity or Estate
- Beneficiary's name and percentage allocation
- Trust name (for a trust beneficiary)
- Choose the trust designation: Revocable, Irrevocable, or Testamentary
- Enter the trust name exactly as it appears on the trust document
- Provide trustee name(s) and contact information
- Enter the trust EIN (Employer Identification Number)
- Include a medallion signature guarantee, which a bank or brokerage can provide
- If the account value is under $10,000, Fundrise states a $50 check to Computershare may be submitted in place of the medallion guarantee
Required Documents
- Trust name and date of trust. The trust name is entered exactly as it appears on the trust document
- Trustee name(s) and contact information
- Trust EIN (Employer Identification Number)
- Trust designation: Revocable, Irrevocable, or Testamentary. Revocable living trusts, irrevocable trusts and testamentary trusts are accepted
- Computershare transfer request package with a medallion signature guarantee (for a transfer of existing shares). A $50 check may be submitted in place of the medallion guarantee where the account value is under $10,000
- Use the Relationship dropdown to select Trust, Entity, Estate, or Individual
- Enter the beneficiary name and percentage allocation
- For a trust beneficiary: select Trust and enter the trust name
Required Documents
- Beneficiary type: Individual, Trust, Entity or Estate
- Beneficiary's name and percentage allocation
- Trust name (for a trust beneficiary)
What Fundrise says about beneficiaries and trusts
Each section is Fundrise's own statement, with the document it comes from numbered under Sources.
Which accounts take a beneficiary2
- Investment account
Taxable accounts take a beneficiary designation under Advanced Options, the only survivorship mechanism other than a trust. Fundrise does not offer Transfer on Death registration on them.1
- IRA
IRA beneficiary designations are made with Inspira Financial, the IRA custodian, not in Fundrise account settings. They cannot be added through the Fundrise website.2
Who can be named6
- A person
An individual can be named as a beneficiary.1
- A trust
A trust can be named as a beneficiary by choosing Trust in the Relationship dropdown and entering the trust name.1
- An entity other than a trust or a business
An entity can be named as a beneficiary.1
- The estate
An estate can be named as a beneficiary.1
- A minor
A beneficiary must be 18 or older, because a beneficiary must be eligible to hold Fundrise shares.1
- Someone outside the United States
A beneficiary must be a permanent U.S. resident for tax purposes, because a beneficiary must be eligible to hold Fundrise shares.1
How many beneficiaries, and how shares are split
- All accounts
Several beneficiaries can be named, each with a percentage allocation.1
What Fundrise's agreement says about beneficiaries1
- Changing the owner of a policy or account
A beneficiary designation records who inherits and does not move shares. An actual change of registration runs through Computershare, the transfer agent.2
What Fundrise says about trust accounts2
- Whether a new account is opened
A Fundrise trust account is always opened as a new account; an existing individual or joint account is not retitled in place. Existing shares reach the trust account only through a share transfer at Computershare, the transfer agent, which requires a medallion signature guarantee.2
- Fees
There is no required fee to transfer shares to a different account.2
Accounts handled elsewhere1
- Inspira Financial
Beneficiary designations for Fundrise IRAs, as the IRA custodian3
Phone: 1-800-618-6177
Email: alternatives@inspirafinancial.com
Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-5:00 PM CT
Sources3
Sources
Data sourced from Fundrise primary sources (16 pages reviewed). How we research.
Download these Fundrise instructions
Download instructions for the whole estateA printable PDF with the steps, required documents, and contact details — verified against Fundrise primary sources. Bring it to the branch or keep it beside the phone.
Fundrise estate support
Investor Relations
Phone
Mailing address
Website
Estate requests go through general customer service.
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