How to name beneficiaries and fund a trust at Great-West Life
Covers 3 insurance, and 5 retirement accounts — beneficiaries can be managed online
Brand change
Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance Company was renamed to Empower Annuity Insurance Company of America effective August 1, 2022. The legal entity, EINs, contract numbers, and beneficiary designations were unchanged; retirement and in-plan annuity business is now serviced under the Empower brand. Legacy individual life insurance and individual annuity contracts sold to Protective Life on June 1, 2019 are serviced by Protective, not Empower. Effective August 2022.
Great-West Life is now part of Empower. The procedures below reflect Great-West Life's accounts during the transition. View the Empower estate planning page.
Participant Services
Phone1-800-537-5024
Mailing Address
Empower, P.O. Box 173764, Denver, CO 80217-3764 (express mail: 8515 E. Orchard Rd., Greenwood Village, CO 80111)
Empower Workplace Retirement (Participants)
Empower Investor Services (Empower-held IRAs)
Protective Life - legacy Great-West individual annuity service
Protective Life - legacy Great-West individual life service
WebsiteLearn more→
Participant Services
Phone1-800-537-5024
Mailing Address
Empower, P.O. Box 173764, Denver, CO 80217-3764 (express mail: 8515 E. Orchard Rd., Greenwood Village, CO 80111)
Empower Workplace Retirement (Participants)
Empower Investor Services (Empower-held IRAs)
Protective Life - legacy Great-West individual annuity service
Protective Life - legacy Great-West individual life service
WebsiteLearn more→
Empower Beneficiary Support Services
Phone1-866-442-3888
Fax1-866-633-5212
Mailing Address
Empower, P.O. Box 173764, Denver, CO 80217-3764 (express mail: 8515 E. Orchard Rd., Greenwood Village, CO 80111). Empower handles death claims on retirement plans, IRAs, and in-plan annuities only; legacy Great-West INDIVIDUAL life and individual annuity contracts are claimed from Protective Life.
WebsiteNotify online→
Verified Jul 2026
The key to protecting your Great-West Life annuity contracts is making sure each one has a transfer mechanism in place—either a beneficiary designation or trust ownership. Without one, the account goes through probate, adding time, cost, and court involvement for your family.
Each of Great-West Life's 8 annuity contracts has different rules for how it transfers at death. The sections below explain the options for each.
401(k) Retirement Plan403(b) Retirement Plan457(b) Deferred Compensation PlanTraditional IRARoth IRA
1
Log in to your Empower account at https://participant.empower-retirement.com (or sign in via https://www.empower.com)
2
Navigate to your account settings or beneficiary designation section
3
Update beneficiary information:
- Add or change primary and contingent beneficiaries
- Provide full legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, and relationship for each beneficiary
- For trust beneficiaries: enter the trust name, trust date, and EIN
- Assign allocation percentages for multiple beneficiaries
4
Review and confirm the designation
5
Note: spousal consent may be required if naming someone other than your spouse as primary beneficiary on a 401(k) or 403(b) plan
Required Documents
- Trust name, date established, and tax ID (EIN or SSN)
Special Requirements
- Trusts can be named as primary or contingent beneficiaries
- Trust beneficiary designation requires trust name, trust date, and EIN
- Spousal consent is required on most 401(k) plans if naming someone other than the spouse as primary beneficiary
- Handwritten signature required on mailed forms; electronic signatures are not accepted
- New beneficiary designations supersede all prior designations
Sources
- empower.com
- ada.protective.com
- claims.protective.com
- docs.empower.com
- greatwestlifeco.com
- participant.empower-retirement.com
- protective.com
Data sourced from Great-West Life primary sources (15 pages reviewed). How we research.
Download these Great-West Life instructions
Download instructions for the whole estateA printable PDF with the steps, required documents, and contact details — verified against Great-West Life primary sources. Bring it to the branch or keep it beside the phone.
Participant Services
Phone1-800-537-5024
Mailing Address
Empower, P.O. Box 173764, Denver, CO 80217-3764 (express mail: 8515 E. Orchard Rd., Greenwood Village, CO 80111)
Empower Workplace Retirement (Participants)
Empower Investor Services (Empower-held IRAs)
Protective Life - legacy Great-West individual annuity service
Protective Life - legacy Great-West individual life service
WebsiteLearn more→
Participant Services
Phone1-800-537-5024
Mailing Address
Empower, P.O. Box 173764, Denver, CO 80217-3764 (express mail: 8515 E. Orchard Rd., Greenwood Village, CO 80111)
Empower Workplace Retirement (Participants)
Empower Investor Services (Empower-held IRAs)
Protective Life - legacy Great-West individual annuity service
Protective Life - legacy Great-West individual life service
WebsiteLearn more→
Empower Beneficiary Support Services
Phone1-866-442-3888
Fax1-866-633-5212
Mailing Address
Empower, P.O. Box 173764, Denver, CO 80217-3764 (express mail: 8515 E. Orchard Rd., Greenwood Village, CO 80111). Empower handles death claims on retirement plans, IRAs, and in-plan annuities only; legacy Great-West INDIVIDUAL life and individual annuity contracts are claimed from Protective Life.
WebsiteNotify online→
Verified Jul 2026
Estate planning articles
Learn how to protect your Great-West Life accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
