Estate planning at Lively
How to protect 2 Lively accounts — manage beneficiaries online, and file death claims
Verified Jul 2026
At Lively, the HSA beneficiary designation controls who receives the account and how it is taxed. Keeping it current—and understanding the spouse-versus-non-spouse difference—is the key estate planning step for accountholders.
Managing beneficiaries at Lively is straightforward—changes can be made online. Trust funding options vary by account type—check with Lively for specifics.
Lively provides specific procedures for both proactive estate planning and filing claims after a death.
Preparing your estate
Beneficiaries and trust funding
How to manage beneficiaries online, and review 2 account types at Lively.
View details →When someone dies
Death claim process
6-step process, 4 required documents, and contact information for survivors.
View details →Frequently asked questions
Log in to the Lively dashboard at livelyme.com, open the menu, and select "Account Settings," then follow the prompts to enter your beneficiary information. You can name both a primary beneficiary and secondary (contingent) beneficiaries. The beneficiary designation on file controls who receives the HSA and overrides instructions in a will.
A primary beneficiary is the first person or entity to inherit your HSA funds when you die. A secondary or contingent beneficiary inherits the funds only if the primary beneficiary is unable to. Both can be named in the Lively dashboard under Account Settings.
If a surviving spouse is the designated beneficiary, the account remains an HSA and transfers to the spouse with no tax owed on the transfer. The spouse becomes the owner and can continue to use the funds for qualified medical expenses.
If no beneficiary is on file, the account is distributed to the estate and the fair market value of the account is included on the decedent's final income tax return. Naming a beneficiary in the Lively dashboard directs the account to that person or entity instead of the estate.
Lively is the account platform. The HSA cash deposit is held with its custodian bank partner, Choice Financial Group, Member FDIC, which also issues the HSA card pursuant to a license from Visa or Mastercard. Lively itself is not an FDIC- or NCUA-insured financial institution; it partners with financial institutions to provide its products.
A trust can be named as an HSA beneficiary. A trust does not receive the spousal tax treatment available to a surviving spouse; when an HSA passes to a trust or a non-spouse beneficiary, the fair market value is generally taxable. Lively directs members to consult a tax or legal advisor about naming a trust.
Sources
Data sourced from Lively primary sources (6 pages reviewed). How we research.
Verified Jul 2026
Estate planning articles
Learn how to protect your Lively accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
