How to name beneficiaries and fund a trust at Great Southern Bank
Beneficiaries are managed in branch or by phone. Trust paperwork is taken in branch or by phone
There are two ways to keep your Great Southern Bank 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.
Great Southern Bank has 20 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 pass through the estate if nothing is set up. Each is covered below.
Beneficiary form at Great Southern Bank
IRA Beneficiary Designation form (for IRAs).
- Full name, date of birth, SSN, relationship, and address for each beneficiary
- For IRA beneficiary changes, complete the IRA Beneficiary Designation form
- For trust beneficiaries, bring a copy of the trust agreement or Certification of Trust
- Provide account information and beneficiary details
- A representative may require you to visit a branch or submit documentation for IRA or trust beneficiary changes
Required Documents
- Beneficiary's full legal name (for each beneficiary)
- Beneficiary's date of birth (for each beneficiary)
- Beneficiary's Social Security number (for each beneficiary)
- Beneficiary's relationship to the owner (for each beneficiary)
- Beneficiary's mailing address (for each beneficiary)
- Government-issued photo ID (at a branch)
- Copy of the trust agreement or Certification of Trust (to name a trust as beneficiary)
- IRA Beneficiary Designation form, completed (for an IRA beneficiary change)
- Trust agreement or Certification of Trust
- Government-issued photo ID for all trustees named in the trust
- Trust's tax identification number
- Opening a trust account or retitling an existing account
- A representative will advise on required documentation and direct you to a branch to complete the process
Required Documents
- Certification of Trust or trust agreement. Either a Certification of Trust (trust abstract or affidavit of trust) or the relevant pages of the trust agreement: trust name, trustee names, grantor names and trustee powers
- Signature and notary pages from the trust agreement
- Any amendments to the trust document
- Government-issued photo ID (for each trustee named in the trust)
- Trust tax identification number
- Death certificate (if a grantor or trustee has died)
- Full name, date of birth, SSN, relationship, and address for each beneficiary
- For IRA beneficiary changes, complete the IRA Beneficiary Designation form
- For trust beneficiaries, bring a copy of the trust agreement or Certification of Trust
- Provide account information and beneficiary details
- A representative may require you to visit a branch or submit documentation for IRA or trust beneficiary changes
Required Documents
- Beneficiary's full legal name (for each beneficiary)
- Beneficiary's date of birth (for each beneficiary)
- Beneficiary's Social Security number (for each beneficiary)
- Beneficiary's relationship to the owner (for each beneficiary)
- Beneficiary's mailing address (for each beneficiary)
- Government-issued photo ID (at a branch)
- Copy of the trust agreement or Certification of Trust (to name a trust as beneficiary)
- IRA Beneficiary Designation form, completed (for an IRA beneficiary change)
What Great Southern Bank says about beneficiaries and trusts
Each section is Great Southern Bank's own statement, with the document it comes from numbered under Sources.
Which accounts take a beneficiary2
- Payable-on-death account
Deposit accounts (checking, savings, CD and money market) take a POD (payable on death) beneficiary designation, requested from the bank.1
- IRA
IRA primary and contingent beneficiaries are named on IRA beneficiary designation forms. An IRA beneficiary change may require completing a specific IRA beneficiary designation form.1
Who can be named1
- A trust
A trust can be named as beneficiary. A trust designation typically requires a copy of the trust agreement or Certification of Trust.1
Beneficiary forms Great Southern Bank issues1
- IRA Beneficiary Designation form
For IRAs. Completed by at a branch. Provided at a branch.2
Which accounts a trust can hold5
- Trust account
Trust accounts are available for checking, savings, money market and CD accounts.2
- IRA
An IRA cannot be retitled to a trust.2
- Coverdell education savings account
A Coverdell ESA cannot be retitled to a trust.2
- Health savings account
An HSA cannot be retitled to a trust.2
- Safe deposit box
A safe deposit box is a rental contract, not a deposit account, and cannot be retitled to a trust through the deposit-account process.2
Trust account forms Great Southern Bank issues1
- Trust account application or account retitling paperwork
Completed by with a banker. Provided at a branch.2
What Great Southern Bank says about trust accounts2
- Review of the trust document
Great Southern has no in-house trust department, so branch bankers do this work using the trust document the customer brings.2
- Fees
If a Certification of Trust still needs to be notarized, the banking center can do it: notary services are free for Great Southern customers, by appointment.3
Not in Great Southern Bank's published guidance2
- Online or mailed trust-retitling path
- Downloadable Certification of Trust form
Sources3
Sources
Data sourced from Great Southern Bank primary sources (15 pages reviewed). How we research.
Download these Great Southern Bank instructions
A printable PDF with the steps, required documents, and contact details, verified against Great Southern Bank primary sources. Bring it to the branch or keep it beside the phone.
Great Southern Bank estate support
Branch Banking (no in-house trust department)
Phone
Hours
Mailing address
Website
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