Estate planning at Hightower
How to protect 8 Hightower accounts — manage beneficiaries in-branch, fund a trust in-branch, and file claims through Hightower's Hightower Trust Company, NA
Hightower Advisors Main Office
Phone(312) 962-3800
Mailing Address
200 W Madison, 25th Floor, Suite 2500, Chicago, IL 60606
New York Office
WebsiteLearn more→
Hightower Trust Company, NA
Phone(917) 580-6041
Toll-Free(800) 894-6040
Fax(917) 591-4906
Mailing Address
Hightower Trust Company, NA, 300 Madison Avenue, 29th Floor, New York, NY 10017
WebsiteLearn more→
Death Claims (via Hightower Advisory Practice)
Phone(312) 962-3800
Mailing Address
200 W Madison, 25th Floor, Suite 2500, Chicago, IL 60606
Verified May 2026
How your Hightower investment accounts transfer at death depends on how each one is titled and whether a beneficiary is on file. Of those, 6 can name a trust as beneficiary or be retitled into a trust. Getting these details right keeps assets out of probate and ensures they reach the intended recipients.
At Hightower, beneficiary designations are managed in branch, by mail, and by phone. Accounts can also be retitled into a trust to keep them out of probate entirely.
There are two sides to estate planning at Hightower: setting things up while you're alive, and the process survivors follow after a death.
Preparing your estate
Beneficiaries and trust funding
How to update beneficiaries in-branch, fund a trust in-branch, and review 8 account types at Hightower.
View details →When someone dies
Death claim process
Contact Hightower's Hightower Trust Company, NA to file a claim. 6-step process, 7 required documents, and contact information for survivors.
View details →Reach Hightower's Hightower Trust Company, NA at (800) 894-6040 for help with any of these procedures.
Frequently asked questions
Contact your Hightower financial advisor to initiate the retitling process. Hightower Advisors does not custody client assets, so the retitling actually happens at the custodian (Charles Schwab, Fidelity, or Pershing). Your advisor coordinates with the custodian to open a new trust-titled account and transfer your holdings. You will need to provide a copy of the trust agreement or Certificate of Trust, the trust EIN if applicable, and trustee identification. The process typically takes 1-3 weeks depending on the custodian. Retirement accounts (IRAs, 401(k)s) cannot be retitled to a trust but can name a trust as beneficiary.
Hightower Trust Company, National Association is a separate entity that provides corporate trustee, co-trustee, agent, and successor trustee services. It received its national charter from the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency in 2022 and maintains offices in Houston, Chicago, and Delaware. Hightower Advisors provides investment advisory and financial planning services, while Hightower Trust Company handles trust administration duties such as calculating and making distributions to beneficiaries, paying trust expenses, tracking principal and income, and filing trust income tax returns. Your Hightower advisor can facilitate an introduction to Hightower Trust Company.
Sources
Data sourced from Hightower primary sources (13 pages reviewed). How we research.
Hightower Advisors Main Office
Phone(312) 962-3800
Mailing Address
200 W Madison, 25th Floor, Suite 2500, Chicago, IL 60606
New York Office
WebsiteLearn more→
Hightower Trust Company, NA
Phone(917) 580-6041
Toll-Free(800) 894-6040
Fax(917) 591-4906
Mailing Address
Hightower Trust Company, NA, 300 Madison Avenue, 29th Floor, New York, NY 10017
WebsiteLearn more→
Death Claims (via Hightower Advisory Practice)
Phone(312) 962-3800
Mailing Address
200 W Madison, 25th Floor, Suite 2500, Chicago, IL 60606
Verified May 2026
Estate planning articles
Learn how to protect your Hightower accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
