How to name beneficiaries and fund a trust at Midland States
Beneficiaries are managed in branch or by phone. Trust paperwork is taken in branch or by mail
Preparing your Midland States accounts for estate transfer involves two primary strategies: designating beneficiaries on individual accounts and, where supported, retitling accounts into a revocable living trust. Both approaches bypass probate, but they work differently depending on the account type.
Across 20 product types, Midland States 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 Midland States
POD or beneficiary designation form.
- Checking, savings, money market, and CD accounts: a POD (Payable on Death) designation, handled by the branch or the Customer Care Center
- Traditional and Roth IRAs: an IRA beneficiary designation, handled through Midland Wealth Advisors or Raymond James, not the teller line
- The Health Savings Account: designated inside the Lively HSA platform at midlandsb.livelyme.com, a different login from Midland personal online banking
- Full legal name
- Date of birth
- Social Security number
- Relationship to the account owner
Required Documents
- Beneficiary's full legal name (for each beneficiary)
- Beneficiary's date of birth (for each beneficiary)
- Beneficiary's Social Security number (for each beneficiary)
- Beneficiary's relationship to the account owner (for each beneficiary)
- Government-issued photo ID (at a branch)
- Designation form, signed (when the form was provided by the Customer Care Center). Returned to a branch, by secure message from personal online banking, or by mail to the Customer Care Center
- Government-issued photo ID for every trustee who will be on the account
- The trust agreement, or a Certificate of Trust if you prefer not to hand over the dispositive terms
- The trust's tax identification number: the grantor's SSN for a standard revocable living trust, or an EIN for a trust that has its own
- A copy of the trust agreement or the Certificate of Trust
- Copies of government-issued photo ID for every trustee
- The trust's tax identification number (grantor SSN or EIN)
Required Documents
- Trust agreement or Certificate of Trust. Either is accepted. The Certificate of Trust is the option that keeps the dispositive terms private. By mail, a copy is enclosed
- Government-issued photo ID (for every trustee who will be on the account). By mail, copies are enclosed
- Trust tax identification number. The grantor's SSN for a revocable trust, or an EIN
- Trust account application, completed
- Checking, savings, money market, and CD accounts: a POD (Payable on Death) designation, handled by the branch or the Customer Care Center
- Traditional and Roth IRAs: an IRA beneficiary designation, handled through Midland Wealth Advisors or Raymond James, not the teller line
- The Health Savings Account: designated inside the Lively HSA platform at midlandsb.livelyme.com, a different login from Midland personal online banking
- Full legal name
- Date of birth
- Social Security number
- Relationship to the account owner
Required Documents
- Beneficiary's full legal name (for each beneficiary)
- Beneficiary's date of birth (for each beneficiary)
- Beneficiary's Social Security number (for each beneficiary)
- Beneficiary's relationship to the account owner (for each beneficiary)
- Government-issued photo ID (at a branch)
- Designation form, signed (when the form was provided by the Customer Care Center). Returned to a branch, by secure message from personal online banking, or by mail to the Customer Care Center
- Government-issued photo ID for every trustee who will be on the account
- The trust agreement, or a Certificate of Trust if you prefer not to hand over the dispositive terms
- The trust's tax identification number: the grantor's SSN for a standard revocable living trust, or an EIN for a trust that has its own
- A copy of the trust agreement or the Certificate of Trust
- Copies of government-issued photo ID for every trustee
- The trust's tax identification number (grantor SSN or EIN)
Required Documents
- Trust agreement or Certificate of Trust. Either is accepted. The Certificate of Trust is the option that keeps the dispositive terms private. By mail, a copy is enclosed
- Government-issued photo ID (for every trustee who will be on the account). By mail, copies are enclosed
- Trust tax identification number. The grantor's SSN for a revocable trust, or an EIN
- Trust account application, completed
- Checking, savings, money market, and CD accounts: a POD (Payable on Death) designation, handled by the branch or the Customer Care Center
- Traditional and Roth IRAs: an IRA beneficiary designation, handled through Midland Wealth Advisors or Raymond James, not the teller line
- The Health Savings Account: designated inside the Lively HSA platform at midlandsb.livelyme.com, a different login from Midland personal online banking
- Full legal name
- Date of birth
- Social Security number
- Relationship to the account owner
Required Documents
- Beneficiary's full legal name (for each beneficiary)
- Beneficiary's date of birth (for each beneficiary)
- Beneficiary's Social Security number (for each beneficiary)
- Beneficiary's relationship to the account owner (for each beneficiary)
- Government-issued photo ID (at a branch)
- Designation form, signed (when the form was provided by the Customer Care Center). Returned to a branch, by secure message from personal online banking, or by mail to the Customer Care Center
What Midland States says about beneficiaries and trusts
Each section is Midland States's own statement, with the document it comes from numbered under Sources.
Which accounts take a beneficiary4
- Payable-on-death account
Checking, savings, money market and CD accounts take a POD (payable on death) designation, handled by a branch or the Customer Care Center.1
A POD designation on a deposit account does not carry over to an IRA, a managed account or the HSA; each has its own designation.1
- IRA
A Traditional or Roth IRA beneficiary designation is handled through Midland Wealth Advisors or Raymond James, not the teller line.1
- Investment account
A managed investment account takes a beneficiary or TOD designation through Midland Wealth Advisors or Raymond James.1
- Health savings account
The HSA is on the Lively platform and its beneficiary is designated there, not at the branch. The Lively login is separate from Midland personal online banking.2
Who can be named1
How many beneficiaries, and how shares are split
- All accounts
Primary and contingent beneficiaries can be named, with percentage allocations that total 100%.1
What a designation takes to be effective
- All accounts
The owner signs the designation form. On a joint account, all owners sign.1
Beneficiary forms Midland States issues1
- POD or beneficiary designation form
Completed by the account owner; every owner of a joint account signs. Sent by the institution on request.1
Return to
Mailing address: Midland States Bank, Customer Care Center, 1201 Network Centre Drive, Effingham, IL 62401
What Midland States's agreement says about beneficiaries1
- Online access
In personal online banking, a secure message from the "Secure Forms" menu requests the designation form or returns the signed one.1
Which accounts a trust can hold3
- Investment account
Taxable investment accounts can be retitled into a trust.1
- IRA
Traditional and Roth IRAs cannot be retitled into a trust. A trust can only be named as their beneficiary.1
- Health savings account
The Lively-powered HSA cannot be retitled into a trust. A trust can only be named as its beneficiary.1
Trust account forms Midland States issues1
- Trust account application
Completed by the trustees. Sent by the institution on request.1
Return to
Mailing address: Midland States Bank, Customer Care Center, 1201 Network Centre Drive, Effingham, IL 62401
What Midland States says about trust accounts5
- Whether a new account is opened
Checking, savings, money market and CD accounts are retitled by opening a new account in the trust's name rather than relabeling or converting the existing one.1
- Account numbers
Because the account is retitled rather than converted in place, the account number may change.1
- Automatic payments and direct deposits
Direct deposits, automatic payments and any linked overdraft protection have to be re-established on the new account.1
A Direct Interest Checking account, which requires direct deposit, needs its deposit re-pointed to keep earning.1
- Checks and cards on a trust account
Debit cards attached to the old account have to be re-established for the new trust account.1
- Changing or revoking a designation
A POD beneficiary named on an account moved into the trust is normally revoked when the account is retitled.1
Accounts handled elsewhere6
- Raymond James
Beneficiary and TOD designations on some Midland IRAs and managed investment accounts1
- Midland Wealth Advisors
Beneficiary and TOD designations on Midland IRAs and managed investment accounts1
- Midland Trust Company, Chicago office
Administers trusts and estates, as sole trustee or as co-trustee alongside a family member4
Phone: 1-312-338-7878
Mailing address: 225 West Washington Street, Suite 1640, Chicago, IL 60606
- Midland Trust Company, New York office
Administers trusts and estates, as sole trustee or as co-trustee alongside a family member4
Phone: 1-914-580-7500
Mailing address: 120 White Plains Road, Suite 135, Tarrytown, NY 10591
- Midland Trust Company, Rockford office
Administers trusts and estates, as sole trustee or as co-trustee alongside a family member4
Phone: 1-815-231-2710
Not in Midland States's published guidance2
- A beneficiary form to download
- An online way to name a beneficiary, for deposit accounts
Sources4
- 1.Help Center
- 2.Lively HSA platform
- 3.Midland branch locations
- 4.Midland Trust Company
Sources
Data sourced from Midland States primary sources (20 pages reviewed). How we research.
Download these Midland States instructions
Download instructions for the whole estateA printable PDF with the steps, required documents, and contact details — verified against Midland States primary sources. Bring it to the branch or keep it beside the phone.
Midland States estate support
Midland Trust Company (trust and estate administration)
Phone
Chicago office
New York office (Tarrytown, NY)
Rockford office
Midland Wealth Management
Mailing address
Website
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