How to name beneficiaries and fund a trust at Jackson
Beneficiaries are managed online, by phone or by mail. Trust paperwork is taken by phone or by mail
For Jackson policyholders, estate planning comes down to one critical step: making sure the right beneficiaries are named on every policy. Insurance proceeds bypass probate entirely and go directly to whoever is listed—regardless of what a will says. When estate tax planning or controlled distributions are a factor, a trust can be named as beneficiary instead.
With 20 product types, Jackson offers a range of transfer options. Some policies support beneficiary designations, others can be retitled into a trust, and some require probate if no beneficiary is designated. The sections below break down each step.
Beneficiary form at Jackson
Annuity Service Request (X0365; N0365 in New York) (for annuitys), Life Service Request (X0366; N0366 in New York) (for life insurance policys), Beneficiary Designation Supplement (X3041; N3041 in New York), Certification of Trust (X5335; N5335 in New York), Trustee Designation for a Juvenile Beneficiary (X1335; N1335 in New York), Designated Beneficiary Hold Harmless Agreement (X2907; N2907 in New York) (for IRAs) and Beneficiary Designation With a Preselected Death Benefit Election (X4219 / N4219).
Open the form →- Annuity Service Request (X0365; N0365 in New York) — the form that changes owner, annuitant, or beneficiary on an annuity contract
- Life Service Request (X0366; N0366 in New York) — the equivalent for an in-force life insurance policy
- Beneficiary Designation Supplement (X3041; N3041 in New York) — attach when you are naming more beneficiaries than the service request has room for
- Certification of Trust (X5335; N5335 in New York) — required whenever a trust is the owner and/or the beneficiary
- A representative can mail or fax the Annuity Service Request and any trust forms your situation requires
- Jackson does not take a beneficiary change by phone — the signed form has to come back to Jackson
- Enter the ten-character contract number (include leading zeros) on every page
- Name primary and contingent beneficiaries with allocation percentages
- For a trust beneficiary: give the trust name, the trust tax identification number, and the trustee name
- Use the Beneficiary Designation Supplement (X3041; N3041 in New York) if you need more beneficiary lines than the service request provides
- If a trust is the owner and/or the beneficiary, also complete the Certification of Trust (X5335; N5335 in New York)
- If a minor is a beneficiary, also complete the Trustee Designation for a Juvenile Beneficiary (X1335; N1335 in New York)
- On an IRA where a trustee designates the trust's beneficiaries, also complete the Designated Beneficiary Hold Harmless Agreement (X2907; N2907 in New York)
- Mail to: Jackson, P.O. Box 24068, Lansing, MI 48909-4068
- Overnight to: Jackson, 1 Corporate Way, Lansing, MI 48951
- Fax to: 800-701-0125 (variable annuities and registered index-linked annuities), 517-706-5519 (all other annuities), or 517-706-5552 (life insurance)
- Jackson of New York fax: 800-701-0125 (variable annuities)
- For New York fixed annuities and life insurance, confirm the fax number with Jackson of New York at 1-888-965-6569 before faxing
Required Documents
- Contract number. Ten characters, with leading zeros, written on every page of the form
- Identity verification (when calling)
- Primary and contingent beneficiaries with allocation percentages
- Trust name, trust tax identification number and trustee name (for a trust beneficiary)
- Annuity Service Request (X0365; N0365 in New York), signed (to change the owner, annuitant or beneficiary of an annuity)
- Life Service Request (X0366; N0366 in New York) (to change an in-force life insurance policy)
- Beneficiary Designation Supplement (X3041; N3041 in New York) (when naming more beneficiaries than the service request has room for)
- Certification of Trust (X5335; N5335 in New York) (when a trust is the owner and/or the beneficiary)
- Trustee Designation for a Juvenile Beneficiary (X1335; N1335 in New York) (when a minor is a beneficiary)
- Designated Beneficiary Hold Harmless Agreement (X2907; N2907 in New York) (on an IRA where a trustee designates the trust's beneficiaries)
- Compare trust ownership against naming the trust as beneficiary
- Request the Annuity Service Request (X0365) and Certification of Trust (X5335)
- A representative can mail or fax the forms; Jackson does not process the change on the call
- Trust as beneficiary (Jackson's recommended default): the contract stays in the owner's name and the trust receives the death benefit
- Trust as owner: permitted by Jackson, but it forfeits spousal continuation and the nonqualified stretch, both of which belong to individual beneficiaries
- Annuity Service Request (X0365; N0365 in New York) — used to change the owner and/or the beneficiary of the contract
- Beneficiary Designation Supplement (X3041; N3041 in New York) if the service request runs out of beneficiary lines
- Certification of Trust (X5335; N5335 in New York) — Jackson requires it whenever a trust is owner and/or beneficiary
- Give the trust name, the trust tax identification number, and the trustee name; the deceased owner's Social Security number is never acceptable as the trust TIN
- Mail to: Jackson, P.O. Box 24068, Lansing, MI 48909-4068
- Overnight to: Jackson, 1 Corporate Way, Lansing, MI 48951
- Fax to: 800-701-0125 (variable annuities and registered index-linked annuities), 517-706-5519 (all other annuities), or 517-706-5552 (life insurance)
Required Documents
- Annuity Service Request (X0365 / N0365 for NY) (to change the owner and/or beneficiary)
- Certification of Trust (X5335 / N5335 for NY) (whenever a trust is owner and/or beneficiary). Signed by all trustees. A complete copy of the trust agreement with signature pages and amendments is the other accepted document
- Beneficiary Designation Supplement (X3041; N3041 in New York) (if the service request runs out of beneficiary lines)
- Trust tax identification number
- Trustee identification
What Jackson says about beneficiaries and trusts
Each section is Jackson's own statement, with the document it comes from numbered under Sources.
Who can be named1
- A trust
A trust can be named as beneficiary. The Certification of Trust is required when a trust is the owner and/or the beneficiary.1
How many beneficiaries, and how shares are split
- Annuity
Primary and contingent beneficiaries are named with allocation percentages.1
What a designation takes to be effective
- Annuity
The completed form is signed.1
Beneficiary forms Jackson issues7
- Annuity Service Request (X0365; N0365 in New York)
For annuitys. Completed by the contract owner. Available to download.1
Return to
Mailing address: Jackson, P.O. Box 24068, Lansing, MI 48909-4068
- Life Service Request (X0366; N0366 in New York)
For life insurance policys. Available to download.1
Return to
Mailing address: Jackson, P.O. Box 24068, Lansing, MI 48909-4068
- Beneficiary Designation Supplement (X3041; N3041 in New York)
Available to download.1
- Certification of Trust (X5335; N5335 in New York)
Available to download.1
- Trustee Designation for a Juvenile Beneficiary (X1335; N1335 in New York)
Available to download.1
- Designated Beneficiary Hold Harmless Agreement (X2907; N2907 in New York)
For IRAs. Available to download.1
- Beneficiary Designation With a Preselected Death Benefit Election (X4219 / N4219)
Completed by the contract owner. Available to download.1
What Jackson's agreement says about beneficiaries3
- What the owner keeps while living
The owner can restrict how a beneficiary takes the money by filing a Beneficiary Designation With a Preselected Death Benefit Election (X4219 / N4219).1
- When a designation takes effect
Jackson requires a newly completed form for every request and does not honor a reused form.1
Jackson does not take a beneficiary change by phone. The signed form has to come back to Jackson.1
- A minor as beneficiary
When a minor is a beneficiary, the Trustee Designation for a Juvenile Beneficiary (X1335; N1335 in New York) is also completed.1
State requirements Jackson statesNew York
- New York
New York contracts use the N-prefixed form versions (N0365, N3041, N4219, N5335).1
Which accounts a trust can hold1
- Annuity
Jackson's recommended default is the trust as beneficiary: the contract stays in the owner's name and the trust receives the death benefit.1
A trust can own the contract, but trust ownership forfeits spousal continuation and the nonqualified stretch, both of which belong to individual beneficiaries.1
Where the trust owns the contract, Jackson supports pass-in-kind titling: at the trust beneficiary's death the trustee can, if the trust permits, retitle the annuity to the remainder beneficiaries as new owners without triggering a taxable event.2
Where the trust owns the contract, Jackson recommends opening a separate contract for each intended remainder beneficiary at the outset so a pass-in-kind retitling can be done later.2
Trust account forms Jackson issues2
- Annuity Service Request (X0365 / N0365 for NY)
For annuitys. Available to download.1
Return to
Mailing address: Jackson, P.O. Box 24068, Lansing, MI 48909-4068
- Certification of Trust (X5335 / N5335 for NY)
Completed by all trustees. Available to download.1
What Jackson says about trust accounts2
State requirements Jackson statesNew York
- New York
Jackson of New York contracts use the N-prefixed versions of the forms (N0365, N3041, N5335).1
Accounts handled elsewhere1
- Jackson of New York
Contracts issued in New York1
Phone: 1-888-965-6569
Sources2
Sources
Data sourced from Jackson primary sources (19 pages reviewed). How we research.
Download these Jackson instructions
Download instructions for the whole estateA printable PDF with the steps, required documents, and contact details — verified against Jackson primary sources. Bring it to the branch or keep it beside the phone.
Jackson estate support
Customer Care (death benefit claims)
Phone
Fax
Mailing address
Website
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