How to name beneficiaries and fund a trust at MassMutual
Covers 17 insurance accounts — beneficiaries can be managed online
MassMutual Customer Service
MassMutual, 1295 State Street, Springfield, MA 01111-0001
Claims Department
MassMutual, Attention: Life Hub, 1295 State Street, Springfield, MA 01111-0001
Life Insurance Claims (Life Hub)
MassMutual, Attention: Life Hub, 1295 State Street, Springfield, MA 01111-0001
For MassMutual 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 17 product types, MassMutual 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.
- From the dashboard, select the tile for the policy you want to update
- Select "People on Policy"
- Expand the dropdown to see the current designations
- Choose to update or add beneficiaries
- Primary beneficiaries with full legal names, dates of birth, relationships, and percentages totaling 100% within the class
- Optional secondary (contingent) and tertiary classes, each totaling 100%
- For a trust: the exact trust name, the date the trust was established, and its EIN
Required Documents
- Trust name, date established, and tax ID (EIN or SSN)
Special Requirements
- Only the policy OWNER can change a beneficiary. When the owner is a trust, all trustees named on the Certification of Trust (F6734/F6734NY) must sign, signing as "Name, Trustee, [Trust] dated [date]"
- MASSACHUSETTS-resident owners: a disinterested witness (anyone other than the owner, insured, or beneficiary), age 18 or older, must sign the form, and all signature dates must match
- DIVORCE: if the policy is subject to a divorce obligation, the former spouse must sign the form. If the former spouse will not sign, MassMutual requires the divorce settlement agreement (first page, any pages about the policy or life insurance, and the signature page). Where the agreement requires a specific designation, MassMutual follows the agreement, not the submitted FR2265
- MINORS: if a minor is named with no UTMA/UGMA custodian designated, money payable to that minor is paid to the court-appointed guardian of the minor's estate — only a legal guardian can exercise the minor's rights
- If the estate of the insured or a corporation is named as the SOLE primary beneficiary, no secondary beneficiary can be named
- A "Trust under the Insured's Will" designation pays only if the will is probated and the testamentary trust is in effect
- If a revocable trust is the OWNER and the trust is not in effect at the insured's death with no living beneficiary, proceeds are paid to the grantors equally, otherwise to the estate of the last grantor to die
- Percentages within a class must total 100%; a blank distribution defaults to equal shares. Issue per stirpes is elected on the form
- Signed forms must be received within 6 months of the signature date to be in good order
- FR2265-US is for LIFE policies post-issue only — not annuities, qualified plans, or disability income. Annuity designations use the Entity Owner & Beneficiary Change Request or the annuity beneficiary form; MassMutual Ascend annuity contracts are handled by Ascend in Cincinnati
Sources
Data sourced from MassMutual primary sources (15 pages reviewed). How we research.
Download these MassMutual instructions
Download instructions for the whole estateA printable PDF with the steps, required documents, and contact details — verified against MassMutual primary sources. Bring it to the branch or keep it beside the phone.
MassMutual Customer Service
MassMutual, 1295 State Street, Springfield, MA 01111-0001
Claims Department
MassMutual, Attention: Life Hub, 1295 State Street, Springfield, MA 01111-0001
Life Insurance Claims (Life Hub)
MassMutual, Attention: Life Hub, 1295 State Street, Springfield, MA 01111-0001
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