How to name beneficiaries and fund a trust at The Hartford
Covers 13 insurance accounts — beneficiaries can be managed online
The Hartford
Subsidiary of The Hartford Insurance Group, Inc. (formerly The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc.)
thehartford.com→
The Hartford, P.O. Box 958461, Lake Mary, FL 32795 (first class mail)
The Hartford, P.O. Box 958461, Lake Mary, FL 32795 (first class mail)
The Hartford, Group Life Claims
The Hartford, Group Life Claims, P.O. Box 14299, Lexington, KY 40512-4299
Beneficiary designations are the foundation of estate planning for The Hartford policies. Unlike bank accounts, insurance products cannot be retitled into a trust. Instead, the beneficiary designation itself determines who receives the proceeds and how quickly they're paid. Naming a trust as beneficiary is an option when more control over distributions is needed.
Across 13 product types, The Hartford policies vary in how they transfer at death. The sections below walk through beneficiary designations, trust funding options, and which products support each method.
- Full legal names, dates of birth, relationships, Social Security numbers, and percentage allocations totaling 100 percent for primary beneficiaries and 100 percent for contingent beneficiaries
- For a trust: the exact trust name, the date of the trust, and the trustee's name and address
- The Hartford's form states that if percentages are not stated, named beneficiaries share equally
Required Documents
- Trust name, date established, and tax ID (EIN or SSN)
Special Requirements
- A trust can be named as beneficiary of group life or AD&D: give the exact trust name, the date of the trust, and the trustee's name and address.
- The designation is filed with the EMPLOYER, not with The Hartford. At claim time the employer must submit the beneficiary designation on file, and if none is on file the policyholder/employer must certify that fact on the claim form — at which point the benefit follows the certificate's default order or the estate.
- Percentages must total 100 percent for primary beneficiaries and 100 percent for contingent beneficiaries. Where no percentages are stated, the named beneficiaries share equally.
- A trust beneficiary or an estate beneficiary cannot be paid into The Hartford's Safe Haven retained-asset account — the form expressly excludes minors, estates, and trusts, so those benefits are paid by check.
- Beneficiary designations control over a will.
- Legacy individual Hartford policies are NOT changed on this form: an individual life policy goes to Prudential (800-243-5433 traditional, 800-231-5453 variable) and an individual annuity goes to Talcott (1-800-862-6668, or the Annuity Beneficiary Change Request form mailed or faxed in).
Sources
- thehartford.com
- annuities.talcottresolution.com
- assets.thehartford.com
- lifebeneficiary.thehartford.com
- talcott.com
Data sourced from The Hartford primary sources (16 pages reviewed). How we research.
Download these The Hartford instructions
Download instructions for the whole estateA printable PDF with the steps, required documents, and contact details — verified against The Hartford primary sources. Bring it to the branch or keep it beside the phone.
The Hartford
Subsidiary of The Hartford Insurance Group, Inc. (formerly The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc.)
thehartford.com→The Hartford, P.O. Box 958461, Lake Mary, FL 32795 (first class mail)
The Hartford, P.O. Box 958461, Lake Mary, FL 32795 (first class mail)
The Hartford, Group Life Claims
The Hartford, Group Life Claims, P.O. Box 14299, Lexington, KY 40512-4299
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