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 account support
Financial Advisor / servicing branch (Client Relations for escalation)
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.
Servicing branch and Financial Advisor (the deceased's branch number is on the account statement)
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.
- 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
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
Sources
Data sourced from Morgan Stanley primary sources (15 pages reviewed). How we research.
Download these Morgan Stanley instructions
Download instructions for the whole estateA 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 account support
Financial Advisor / servicing branch (Client Relations for escalation)
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.
Servicing branch and Financial Advisor (the deceased's branch number is on the account statement)
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