How to name beneficiaries and fund a trust at MSUFCU
Covers 8 deposit, 4 retirement, and 1 lending accounts — beneficiaries must be updated in-branch
Member Services
Phone(517) 333-2424
Toll-Free1-800-678-4968
Fax1-866-374-2123
Mailing Address
MSU Federal Credit Union, 3777 West Road, East Lansing, MI 48823 (correspondence: P.O. Box 1208, East Lansing, MI 48826-1208)
WebsiteLearn more→
Members Trust Company (trust administration and estate settlement)
Mailing Address
MSU Federal Credit Union, P.O. Box 1208, East Lansing, MI 48826-1208
WebsiteLearn more→
Specialty and Support Services
Phone(517) 333-2424
Toll-Free1-800-678-4968
Fax1-866-374-2123
Mailing Address
MSUFCU ATTN: Specialty and Support Services, PO Box 1208, East Lansing, MI 48826-1208
Verified Jul 2026
There are two ways to keep your MSUFCU accounts out of probate: adding Payable on Death designations and retitling accounts into a trust. Because MSUFCU is a membership-based institution, trust retitling must maintain the membership eligibility requirement. Both methods ensure your accounts transfer directly to the people you choose, without court involvement.
Across 13 product types, MSUFCU 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.
Totally Green CheckingClassic CheckingMoney Market CheckingRebuild CheckingSpartan SaverSavings BuilderInsured Money Management Account (IMMA)Certificate (CD)
1
Visit any MSUFCU branch with government-issued photo ID and request the Beneficiary Designation Form
2
Give the representative, for each beneficiary:
- Full name, date of birth, and Social Security number
- Relationship to the account owner and percentage allocation
3
Sign and submit the form. Ask separately about IRA and HSA beneficiaries — those are designated on their own form
Required Documents
- Trust name, date established, and tax ID (EIN or SSN)
Special Requirements
- POD designation applies to deposit accounts only (checking, savings, IMMA, certificates). Section 7 of the Membership and Account Agreement excludes IRAs, and HSA beneficiaries are also designated separately
- If more than one POD payee is named, the account passes to all of them WITHOUT rights of survivorship — each named payee takes their own share, and a predeceased payee's share does not automatically roll to the others
- If no named POD payee is living when the last surviving owner dies, the account becomes part of the owner's estate and goes through probate
- A trust can be named as a POD payee on a deposit account and as beneficiary of an IRA
- MSUFCU is not required to notify a POD payee that they have been named, unless the law requires it — so tell the person, or leave the designation in a letter of instruction
- DocuSign electronic completion is available on request; the form can also be returned by eMessage through digital banking
Sources
Data sourced from MSUFCU primary sources (17 pages reviewed). How we research.
Download these MSUFCU instructions
Download instructions for the whole estateA printable PDF with the steps, required documents, and contact details — verified against MSUFCU primary sources. Bring it to the branch or keep it beside the phone.
Member Services
Phone(517) 333-2424
Toll-Free1-800-678-4968
Fax1-866-374-2123
Mailing Address
MSU Federal Credit Union, 3777 West Road, East Lansing, MI 48823 (correspondence: P.O. Box 1208, East Lansing, MI 48826-1208)
WebsiteLearn more→
Members Trust Company (trust administration and estate settlement)
Mailing Address
MSU Federal Credit Union, P.O. Box 1208, East Lansing, MI 48826-1208
WebsiteLearn more→
Specialty and Support Services
Phone(517) 333-2424
Toll-Free1-800-678-4968
Fax1-866-374-2123
Mailing Address
MSUFCU ATTN: Specialty and Support Services, PO Box 1208, East Lansing, MI 48826-1208
Verified Jul 2026
Estate planning articles
Learn how to protect your MSUFCU accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
