How to name beneficiaries and fund a trust at Hancock Whitney
Covers 9 deposit, 4 retirement, and 2 lending accounts — beneficiaries must be updated in-branch
P.O. Box 4019, Gulfport, MS 39502
Client Services (estate and deceased-account claims)
Hancock Whitney Bank, P.O. Box 4019, Gulfport, MS 39502
Estate planning for your Hancock Whitney 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.
With 15 product types, Hancock Whitney offers a range of transfer options. Some accounts support Payable on Death (POD) designations, others can be retitled into a trust, and some require probate if no beneficiary is designated. The sections below break down each step.
- Full legal name, date of birth, and Social Security number for each beneficiary
- Primary and contingent beneficiaries
- Distribution percentages if naming more than one beneficiary
Required Documents
- Trust name, date established, and tax ID (EIN or SSN)
Special Requirements
- Louisiana: the Deposit Agreement requires a completed "Payable on Death" affidavit to establish a POD account, and states that all Payable on Death accounts are subject to Louisiana law, including its inheritance laws. Louisiana forced heirship can give certain heirs a claim against what a POD beneficiary receives, so a POD designation on a Louisiana account is not the clean probate bypass it is in the bank's other four states
- A POD beneficiary's rights do not take priority over Hancock Whitney's right of setoff or the consensual security interest granted in the Deposit Agreement (called a statutory security interest in Louisiana). If the account owner owes the bank a debt, the bank can collect from the account before the beneficiary is paid
- Coordinate beneficiary designations with your overall estate plan to avoid conflicts with your will or trust
- Name contingent beneficiaries so the account does not fall back into the estate if a primary beneficiary predeceases you
- Review and update designations after marriage, divorce, birth, or a death in the family
Sources
Data sourced from Hancock Whitney primary sources (19 pages reviewed). How we research.
Download these Hancock Whitney instructions
Download instructions for the whole estateA printable PDF with the steps, required documents, and contact details — verified against Hancock Whitney primary sources. Bring it to the branch or keep it beside the phone.
P.O. Box 4019, Gulfport, MS 39502
Client Services (estate and deceased-account claims)
Hancock Whitney Bank, P.O. Box 4019, Gulfport, MS 39502
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