How to name beneficiaries and fund a trust at Heartland
Beneficiaries are managed in branch or by phone. Trust paperwork is taken in branch
Heartland has changed ownershipAcquired, effective February 2025
Heartland BancCorp was acquired by German American Bancorp, Inc. at 12:01 a.m. ET on February 1, 2025, and Heartland Bank merged with and into German American Bank immediately after the holding-company transaction closed. Heartland Bank continues to operate under its own brand as a division of German American Bank in the Columbus, Ohio and Greater Cincinnati markets, with its own Customer Care line at (800) 697-0049 and its own branches, but it is no longer a separately chartered bank: FDIC certificate 9443 closed on February 1, 2025 and deposits are now insured under German American Bank, FDIC certificate 17393. Two routing numbers remain in service and heartland.bank publishes both in its footer — 044109336 for Heartland Bank, a division of German American Bank, and 083904563 for German American Bank — so an executor working from old Heartland checks and statements will see a different number than the one on the parent site. Trust administration and estate planning are delivered under the German American Bank wealth management group.
Estate planning for your Heartland 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.
Across 18 product types, Heartland 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 Heartland
POD beneficiary card (for payable-on-death accounts), IRA beneficiary designation form (for IRAs) and HSA beneficiary designation (for health savings accounts).
- POD beneficiary cards for deposit accounts (checking, savings, money market, CD)
- IRA beneficiary designation form for a Traditional or Roth IRA or IRA CD
- HSA beneficiary designation for a Health Savings Account
- Certification of Trust or trust agreement if a trust is the beneficiary
Required Documents
- Beneficiary details (for each beneficiary). Full legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, relationship, and mailing address
- Government-issued photo ID (when designating at a branch)
- Certification of Trust or the trust agreement (if a trust is the beneficiary). The bank records the exact trust name and trustee from it
- Certification of Trust or trust agreement, including signature and notary pages and any amendments
- Photo ID for all trustees
- The trust tax identification number
Required Documents
- Certification of Trust or the trust agreement. Trust name, grantor, trustees, and trustee powers; the relevant trust agreement pages are accepted in place of a Certification of Trust
- Signature and notary pages from the trust agreement
- Any amendments to the trust
- Government-issued photo ID for all trustees
- Trust tax identification number
- Death certificate (if a grantor or a named trustee is already deceased)
- POD beneficiary cards for deposit accounts (checking, savings, money market, CD)
- IRA beneficiary designation form for a Traditional or Roth IRA or IRA CD
- HSA beneficiary designation for a Health Savings Account
- Certification of Trust or trust agreement if a trust is the beneficiary
Required Documents
- Beneficiary details (for each beneficiary). Full legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, relationship, and mailing address
- Government-issued photo ID (when designating at a branch)
- Certification of Trust or the trust agreement (if a trust is the beneficiary). The bank records the exact trust name and trustee from it
What Heartland says about beneficiaries and trusts
Each section is Heartland's own statement, with the document it comes from numbered under Sources.
Which accounts take a beneficiary3
- Payable-on-death account
Checking, savings, money market, and CD accounts take a Payable on Death designation.1
- IRA
An IRA beneficiary change is made on the IRA beneficiary designation form, naming primary and contingent beneficiaries. A POD card does not cover an IRA.1
- Health savings account
The Health Savings Account carries its own beneficiary designation, separate from any deposit-account POD.1
Who can be named1
- A trust
A trust named as beneficiary requires a Certification of Trust or the trust agreement so the bank records the exact trust name and trustee.1
What a designation takes to be effective
- All accounts
A designation that changes who receives money on death requires a signed form.1
Beneficiary forms Heartland issues3
- POD beneficiary card
For payable-on-death accounts. Provided at a branch.1
- IRA beneficiary designation form
For IRAs. Provided at a branch.1
- HSA beneficiary designation
For health savings accounts. Provided at a branch.1
What Heartland's agreement says about beneficiaries1
- Who can see the designation
Heirs cannot see designations in online banking.1
State requirements Heartland statesKentucky, Ohio
- Kentucky
A trust or payable-on-death beneficiary cannot withdraw until all persons who created the account have died, the beneficiary is then living, and any required release-of-funds procedures have been completed.2
Naming two or more beneficiaries gives them equal shares with no right of survivorship between them.2
- Ohio
A trust or payable-on-death beneficiary cannot withdraw until all persons who created the account have died, the beneficiary is then living, and any required release-of-funds procedures have been completed.2
Naming two or more beneficiaries gives them equal shares with no right of survivorship between them.2
Which accounts a trust can hold3
- Trust account
Checking, savings, money market, and CD accounts can be retitled to a revocable living trust in branch.1
- IRA
An IRA cannot be retitled. It passes by beneficiary designation only.1
- Health savings account
The Health Savings Account cannot be retitled. It passes by beneficiary designation only.1
What Heartland says about trust accounts3
- Who signs for the trust
The deposit terms say a fiduciary account "may be opened and maintained by a person or persons named as a trustee under a written trust agreement".2
- Review of the trust document
The bank states it "is not acting in the capacity of a trustee in connection with the trust nor do we undertake any obligation to monitor or enforce the terms of the trust or letters."2
- Online access
Heartland does not offer online trust retitling.1
Accounts handled elsewhere2
- German American Bank wealth management group
Corporate trustee and estate planning services1
- Heartland Planning Associates
Securities and advisory services through LPL Financial1
Sources2
- 1.Heartland Bank beneficiary designation and trust account guidance
- 2.Heartland Bank deposit Terms and Conditions
Sources
Data sourced from Heartland primary sources (15 pages reviewed). How we research.
Download these Heartland instructions
Download instructions for the whole estateA printable PDF with the steps, required documents, and contact details — verified against Heartland primary sources. Bring it to the branch or keep it beside the phone.
Heartland estate support
Trust Administration and Estate Planning (German American Bank wealth management)
Phone
German American Bank Customer Care Center
Hours
Website
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