How to name beneficiaries and fund a trust at Great Plains FCU
Beneficiaries are managed in branch, by phone or by mail. Trust paperwork is taken in branch or by mail
There are two ways to keep your Great Plains FCU accounts out of probate: adding Payable on Death designations and retitling accounts into a trust. Because Great Plains FCU is a membership-based institution, trust retitling must maintain the membership eligibility requirement. Both methods ensure your accounts transfer directly to the people you choose, without court involvement.
Across 21 product types, Great Plains FCU accounts vary in how they transfer at death. The sections below walk through Payable on Death (POD) designations, trust funding options, and which products support each method.
Beneficiary form at Great Plains FCU
Beneficiary Designation Form (for payable-on-death accounts) and IRA beneficiary designation form (for IRAs).
- Full legal name
- Date of birth
- Social Security number
- Relationship to account owner
- Primary beneficiary information (full legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, relationship)
- Contingent beneficiary information
- Percentage allocation for multiple beneficiaries
Required Documents
- Beneficiary's full legal name
- Beneficiary's date of birth
- Beneficiary's Social Security number
- Beneficiary's relationship to the account owner
- Contingent beneficiary information (if naming a contingent beneficiary)
- Percentage allocation (if naming multiple beneficiaries)
- Government-issued photo ID (in a branch)
- Full trust agreement or Certificate of Trust
- Government-issued photo ID for all trustees
- Trust tax identification number (EIN) or SSN for revocable trusts
- Trust document or Certificate of Trust
- Government-issued photo ID copies for all trustees
- Trust EIN or SSN
Required Documents
- Full trust agreement or Certificate of Trust. Either is accepted; a Certificate of Trust is also called an Abstract of Trust or Certification of Trust
- Government-issued photo ID (for all trustees; copies by mail)
- Trust Employer Identification Number (EIN) or SSN. The SSN is listed for revocable trusts
- Full legal name
- Date of birth
- Social Security number
- Relationship to account owner
- Primary beneficiary information (full legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, relationship)
- Contingent beneficiary information
- Percentage allocation for multiple beneficiaries
Required Documents
- Beneficiary's full legal name
- Beneficiary's date of birth
- Beneficiary's Social Security number
- Beneficiary's relationship to the account owner
- Contingent beneficiary information (if naming a contingent beneficiary)
- Percentage allocation (if naming multiple beneficiaries)
- Government-issued photo ID (in a branch)
What Great Plains FCU says about beneficiaries and trusts
Each section is Great Plains FCU's own statement, with the document it comes from numbered under Sources.
Which accounts take a beneficiary2
- Payable-on-death account
POD designations apply to the share draft (checking), savings, money market and share certificate accounts.1
- IRA
IRA passbook and IRA certificate accounts use a separate beneficiary designation form; POD does not apply to them.1
Who can be named1
- A trust, payable-on-death accounts
A trust can be named as a POD beneficiary on deposit accounts.1
- A trust, IRAs
A trust can be named as an IRA beneficiary.1
How many beneficiaries, and how shares are split
- All accounts
Primary and contingent beneficiaries can be named, with a percentage allocation when there are multiple beneficiaries.1
What a designation takes to be effective
- All accounts
A beneficiary designation is not accepted over the phone alone. The form is completed, signed and returned by mail or at a branch.1
Beneficiary forms Great Plains FCU issues2
- Beneficiary Designation Form
For payable-on-death accounts. Completed by the account owner. Sent by the institution on request.1
Return to
Mailing address: Great Plains FCU, P.O. Box 2968, Joplin, MO 64803
- IRA beneficiary designation form
For IRAs. Sent by the institution on request.1
What Great Plains FCU's agreement says about beneficiaries2
- A designation and a will
A will or trust does not override the beneficiary designation form on file.1
- Online access
Beneficiary designations cannot be completed in online or mobile banking (the Banno platform and the "GP Anytime" app), whose self-service scope is transactions, transfers, bill pay, notifications and secure messaging.2
Which accounts a trust can hold2
- Trust account
Accounts are available in a trust's name for checking, savings, money market and certificate products.3
- IRA
IRA passbook and IRA certificate accounts cannot be retitled to a trust.3
Trust account forms Great Plains FCU issues1
- Trust account application
Sent by the institution on request.3
Return to
Mailing address: Great Plains FCU, P.O. Box 2968, Joplin, MO 64803
What Great Plains FCU says about trust accounts4
- Whether a new account is opened
Existing accounts may need to be closed and reopened in the trust name.3
- Membership
Great Plains FCU can only hold a trust account if the trust connects to an eligible member: through residence, employment, worship or school attendance in a city or county with a branch (2 in Missouri, 8 in Kansas), a Select Employer Group, or a current member's immediate family.4
Immediate family means a spouse, parent, grandparent, child, grandchild or sibling, including step and adoptive relationships.4
- Successor trustees
A successor trustee who lives outside the field of membership can still act on the account.3
- Online access
There is no online account opening.3
Not in Great Plains FCU's published guidance3
- A beneficiary form to download
- A procedure for holding an account in a trust
- Trust account forms to download
Sources4
- 1.Beneficiary Designation Form
- 2.New Banno Online and Mobile Banking
- 3.Trust account application
- 4.Become a Member
Sources
(6)·
Data sourced from Great Plains FCU primary sources (15 pages reviewed). How we research.
Download these Great Plains FCU instructions
A printable PDF with the steps, required documents, and contact details, verified against Great Plains FCU primary sources. Bring it to the branch or keep it beside the phone.
Great Plains FCU estate support
Member Services (Joplin home office)
Phone
Toll-free
Carthage, MO branch
Abilene, KS branch
Columbus, KS branch
Hillsboro, KS branch
Independence, KS branch
McPherson, KS branch
Montezuma, KS branch
Montezuma, KS branch (toll-free)
Salina, KS branch
Salina, KS branch (toll-free)
Wichita, KS branch
Fax
Hours
Mailing address
Website
Estate requests go through general customer service.
Estate planning articles
Learn how to protect your Great Plains FCU accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
Is this your situation?
Get a complete guide for your specific circumstances.
New Baby or Adoption
Your family is growing. Your protection should too. Guardian nominations, trusts for minors, beneficiary updates, and the documents new parents need in place.
Learn more
Marriage
What married couples need in place: one joint trust or two, wills, beneficiary updates, and the spousal rights your state grants you automatically.
Learn more
New Home
How to put your house in a revocable trust: the deed you record, what it does to your mortgage and property taxes, and when a TOD deed is simpler.
Learn more
Retirement
Retirement changes your financial picture. Healthcare directives, beneficiary reviews, long-term care planning, and protecting what you've built.
Learn moreForms for Planning Your Estate
Free forms for planning your estate: will, living trust, pour-over will, powers of attorney and TOD deed. Prepare each form for your state and download the PDF.
Revocable Living Trust
Create a revocable living trust to avoid probate, protect privacy, and control asset distribution.
Last Will and Testament
Name your heirs, guardians, and final wishes. Free for every state.
Codicil to a Will
Add, revoke or replace provisions of your will and republish the rest, signed as your state requires for a will.
Tools for Planning Your Estate
Free tools for planning your estate: will and trust costs, trust or TOD deed, and the signing rules. Run each tool for your state and read its answer.
How Much Does a Revocable Living Trust Cost?
Compare revocable living trust costs across providers including online services and attorneys.
How Does SimplyTrust Compare to LegalZoom, Trust & Will, and Other Services?
Compare what it costs to make a trust official across SimplyTrust, LegalZoom, Trust & Will, Rocket Lawyer, and Quicken WillMaker.
Do I Need a Revocable Trust?
Find out if a revocable trust makes sense based on your state, estate value, and family situation.
Trust or Will: Which Costs Less?
Compare the cost of probate vs a trust for your state and estate value.
How Much Is the Federal Gift Tax?
Whether a gift owes federal gift tax, how much of the annual exclusion and lifetime exemption it uses, and whether Form 709 is due.
What Does Estate Planning Actually Cost?
Compare costs across estate planning providers including online services and attorneys.
