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OverviewPreparing your estateWhen someone dies
OverviewPreparing your estateWhen someone dies
SimplyTrust forms
Letter of Instruction
Home→Financial Institutions→Morgan Stanley→Preparing your estate

How to name beneficiaries and fund a trust at Morgan Stanley

Covers 7 investment, 1 deposit, and 6 retirement accounts — beneficiaries must be updated in-branch

Morgan Stanley

Subsidiary of Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS)

morganstanley.com→
Morgan Stanley logo

Morgan Stanley account support

Phone1-888-454-3965
Toll-Free1-888-454-3965
Outside the U.S.
+1 801-902-6997
Client Relations (escalations)
1-866-227-2256
Senior Investor Helpline
1-800-280-4534
Virtual Advisor
1-866-743-5700
Directed Share Program
1-877-580-8237
WebsiteLearn more→

Financial Advisor / servicing branch (Client Relations for escalation)

Phone1-888-454-3965
Toll-Free1-866-227-2256
Mailing Address

Escalations only: Morgan Stanley Client Relations, PO Box 95002, South Jordan, UT 84095. Account-specific forms and requests must be mailed to the servicing branch (address on the account statement) or to E*TRADE.

Senior Investor Helpline
1-800-280-4534
E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley (Client Relations listing)
1-800-387-2331
E*TRADE Beneficiary Services (estate claims)
1-888-402-0653
Global Stock Plan Services
1-800-367-4777
WebsiteLearn more→

Servicing branch and Financial Advisor (the deceased's branch number is on the account statement)

Phone1-888-454-3965
Toll-Free1-888-454-3965
E*TRADE Beneficiary Services (E*TRADE accounts)
1-888-402-0653
Global Stock Plan Services (stock plan accounts)
1-800-367-4777
Client Relations (escalation)
1-866-227-2256
Senior Investor Helpline
1-800-280-4534
WebsiteNotify online→
Verified Jul 2026

There are two ways to keep your Morgan Stanley investment accounts out of probate: adding beneficiary designations and retitling eligible accounts into a revocable living trust. Which approach works best depends on the account type and your overall estate plan.

Morgan Stanley has 14 product types, and the estate transfer rules differ across them. Some support Transfer on Death (TOD) designations, some can be retitled into a trust, and others will require probate if nothing is set up. Each is covered below.

Bank Deposit Program (swept cash at Morgan Stanley Private Bank)
1
Meet with your Financial Advisor at the Morgan Stanley branch that services the account
2
Request the TOD beneficiary designation (brokerage, CashPlus, advisory) or the IRA Designation of Beneficiary form (IRAs)
3
Give the advisor each beneficiary's full legal name, date of birth, SSN, address, phone number, relationship, and percentage allocation (totaling 100%). For a trust beneficiary, bring the trust name, date, trustee name, and EIN
  • A TOD designation on a joint account pays only after the last surviving owner dies
  • A new designation supersedes the prior one for that account; naming a beneficiary on one account does not carry the designation to your other accounts
4
Sign the form with your advisor and confirm the branch has submitted it for processing

Required Documents

  • Trust name, date established, and tax ID (EIN or SSN)

Special Requirements

  • Beneficiary designations are advisor-serviced, not self-service: Morgan Stanley Wealth Management does not publish a downloadable TOD form and does not offer online beneficiary management on the wealth platform (E*TRADE accounts do have an online path — see the E*TRADE record)
  • IRAs use a separate IRA Designation of Beneficiary form; the brokerage TOD designation does not reach them
  • Completed forms go to the servicing branch (or to E*TRADE for E*TRADE accounts), never to the Client Relations escalation PO Box
  • A named beneficiary overrides your will for that account
  • Spousal consent may be required in community property states
SimplyTrustSimplyTrust Editorial·Updated July 12, 2026

Sources

  • morganstanley.com
  • content.etrade.com

Data sourced from Morgan Stanley primary sources (15 pages reviewed). How we research.

Download these Morgan Stanley instructions

Download instructions for the whole estate→

A printable PDF with the steps, required documents, and contact details — verified against Morgan Stanley primary sources. Bring it to the branch or keep it beside the phone.

Morgan Stanley

Subsidiary of Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS)

morganstanley.com→
Morgan Stanley logo

Morgan Stanley account support

Phone1-888-454-3965
Toll-Free1-888-454-3965
Outside the U.S.
+1 801-902-6997
Client Relations (escalations)
1-866-227-2256
Senior Investor Helpline
1-800-280-4534
Virtual Advisor
1-866-743-5700
Directed Share Program
1-877-580-8237
WebsiteLearn more→

Financial Advisor / servicing branch (Client Relations for escalation)

Phone1-888-454-3965
Toll-Free1-866-227-2256
Mailing Address

Escalations only: Morgan Stanley Client Relations, PO Box 95002, South Jordan, UT 84095. Account-specific forms and requests must be mailed to the servicing branch (address on the account statement) or to E*TRADE.

Senior Investor Helpline
1-800-280-4534
E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley (Client Relations listing)
1-800-387-2331
E*TRADE Beneficiary Services (estate claims)
1-888-402-0653
Global Stock Plan Services
1-800-367-4777
WebsiteLearn more→

Servicing branch and Financial Advisor (the deceased's branch number is on the account statement)

Phone1-888-454-3965
Toll-Free1-888-454-3965
E*TRADE Beneficiary Services (E*TRADE accounts)
1-888-402-0653
Global Stock Plan Services (stock plan accounts)
1-800-367-4777
Client Relations (escalation)
1-866-227-2256
Senior Investor Helpline
1-800-280-4534
WebsiteNotify online→
Verified Jul 2026

Estate planning articles

Learn how to protect your Morgan Stanley accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.

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A revocable living trust skips probate, stays private, and takes 15 minutes.

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Estate planning articles

Learn how to protect your Morgan Stanley accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.

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