How to designate beneficiaries at Mutual of America
Beneficiaries are managed by phone or by mail
Beneficiary designations are the foundation of estate planning for Mutual of America policies. Unlike bank accounts, insurance products cannot be retitled into a trust. Instead, the beneficiary designation itself determines who receives the proceeds and how quickly they're paid. Naming a trust as beneficiary is an option when more control over distributions is needed.
Mutual of America has 8 policies with different estate transfer rules. Here is how beneficiary designations, trust ownership, and probate apply to each one.
Beneficiary form at Mutual of America
Beneficiary Designation, Form 6463_GA (rev. 4/25) and Designation of Trust as Beneficiary, Form 6475-GA (rev. 5/25).
Open the form →- Form 6463 (Beneficiary Designation) for individual or estate beneficiaries, one form per plan
- Form 6475 (Designation of Trust as Beneficiary) for a trust. Form 6463 routes trust designations and irrevocable designations to this phone number
- All group coverages with current and prior employers, and all IRA and FPA contracts; one form covers everything
- Or specific coverages, listed by plan type (403(b), 401(k), IRA) and plan number, up to four rows
- Check testamentary trust (created under your will, with the will date) or living trust (with the trust name and date)
- Enter the trust's Tax Identification Number, or check the box that reads "has not yet been obtained"
- Give the name, address, and telephone number of the trustee or successor trustee to be contacted upon your death
- Mark the trust as primary or secondary beneficiary and enter its benefit percentage
- Any non-trust beneficiaries go in the separate Non-Trust Beneficiaries block on the same form
Required Documents
- Beneficiary Designation Form 6463, completed and signed (to name people or an estate, one form per plan)
- Designation of Trust as Beneficiary Form 6475, completed and signed (to name a trust). The trust details are entered on the form. The trust agreement or a certification of trust is not attached
- The coverages the designation applies to (on Form 6475). All group coverages with current and prior employers and all IRA and FPA contracts, or specific plans listed by plan type and plan number, up to four rows
- Trust type, with the date of the will or the trust name and date (to name a trust). A testamentary trust created under your will, or a living trust
- Trust's Tax Identification Number (to name a trust). The form has a box for "has not yet been obtained", so the designation can be filed before the trust has an EIN
- Trustee or successor trustee's name, address and telephone number (to name a trust). The trustee to be contacted at your death
- The trust's beneficiary class and benefit percentage (to name a trust). The trust is marked as primary or secondary beneficiary
- Spouse's Waiver of Death Benefits, signed by the Eligible Spouse (if you are married and the plan is subject to the ERISA spousal-consent rules). Signed in the presence of a notary public or an authorized representative of the employer
- Your current marital status (in the waiver block of Form 6475). If you indicate you are not married and Mutual of America's records say otherwise, it may require evidence
- Form 6463 (Beneficiary Designation) for individual or estate beneficiaries, one form per plan
- Form 6475 (Designation of Trust as Beneficiary) for a trust. Form 6463 routes trust designations and irrevocable designations to this phone number
- All group coverages with current and prior employers, and all IRA and FPA contracts; one form covers everything
- Or specific coverages, listed by plan type (403(b), 401(k), IRA) and plan number, up to four rows
- Check testamentary trust (created under your will, with the will date) or living trust (with the trust name and date)
- Enter the trust's Tax Identification Number, or check the box that reads "has not yet been obtained"
- Give the name, address, and telephone number of the trustee or successor trustee to be contacted upon your death
- Mark the trust as primary or secondary beneficiary and enter its benefit percentage
- Any non-trust beneficiaries go in the separate Non-Trust Beneficiaries block on the same form
Required Documents
- Beneficiary Designation Form 6463, completed and signed (to name people or an estate, one form per plan)
- Designation of Trust as Beneficiary Form 6475, completed and signed (to name a trust). The trust details are entered on the form. The trust agreement or a certification of trust is not attached
- The coverages the designation applies to (on Form 6475). All group coverages with current and prior employers and all IRA and FPA contracts, or specific plans listed by plan type and plan number, up to four rows
- Trust type, with the date of the will or the trust name and date (to name a trust). A testamentary trust created under your will, or a living trust
- Trust's Tax Identification Number (to name a trust). The form has a box for "has not yet been obtained", so the designation can be filed before the trust has an EIN
- Trustee or successor trustee's name, address and telephone number (to name a trust). The trustee to be contacted at your death
- The trust's beneficiary class and benefit percentage (to name a trust). The trust is marked as primary or secondary beneficiary
- Spouse's Waiver of Death Benefits, signed by the Eligible Spouse (if you are married and the plan is subject to the ERISA spousal-consent rules). Signed in the presence of a notary public or an authorized representative of the employer
- Your current marital status (in the waiver block of Form 6475). If you indicate you are not married and Mutual of America's records say otherwise, it may require evidence
What Mutual of America says about beneficiaries and trusts
Each section is Mutual of America's own statement, with the document it comes from numbered under Sources.
Who can be named5
- A person
People are named on Form 6463. A single Form 6463 cannot cover multiple plans, so one form is submitted per plan.1
- The estate
An estate is named on Form 6463, one form per plan.1
- A trust
Form 6463 cannot be used to name a trust. A trust is named on Form 6475.1
A trust designation is valid only if Mutual of America can begin paying the trust within one year of notice of your death. If it cannot, the designation is void and benefits are paid as though the trust did not survive you.2
Mutual of America states it is in no case bound by any terms of a trust to accelerate or commute payments.2
- A trust created by a will
Form 6475 takes a testamentary trust created under your will, with the date of the will, or a living trust with its name and date.2
- A spouse, employer retirement plans
A married participant in a plan covered by the ERISA spousal-consent rules must name the Eligible Spouse as the only primary beneficiary unless the spouse signs the Spouse's Waiver.2
If an unmarried participant later marries, the retirement-plan beneficiary designation is automatically voided and the Eligible Spouse is deemed the primary beneficiary. A new form must be filed after a wedding.2
How many beneficiaries, and how shares are split
- All accounts
Each beneficiary is named as primary or secondary with a benefit percentage. Without stated percentages, the benefit is split equally among the surviving primary beneficiaries, or if none survive, among the surviving secondary beneficiaries.2
What a designation takes to be effective
- Employer retirement plan
The Spouse's Waiver is signed before a notary public or an authorized representative of the employer, and Mutual of America employees cannot sign as that representative. A new waiver is needed every time the primary beneficiary changes.2
If the participant is younger than 35 when other beneficiaries are named with spousal consent, the designation ends at age 35 and the Eligible Spouse becomes the beneficiary again unless the participant re-designates with a new signed waiver.2
Beneficiary forms Mutual of America issues2
- Beneficiary Designation, Form 6463_GA (rev. 4/25)
Available to download.1
Return to
Mailing address: Mutual of America Financial Group, P.O. Box 20011, New York, NY 10011
- Designation of Trust as Beneficiary, Form 6475-GA (rev. 5/25)
Available to download.2
Return to
Mailing address: Mutual of America Financial Group, P.O. Box 20011, New York, NY 10011
What Mutual of America's agreement says about beneficiaries2
- Changing or revoking a designation
Form 6475 states: "This designation completely replaces any previous designation for the coverages indicated."2
Naming beneficiaries by name does not create a category, so adding a child born later requires a new form.2
Form 6463 cannot be used for an irrevocable designation. It sends the owner to Participant Services by phone.1
- No beneficiary survives
Where there is no other designated beneficiary, the account passes in the order specified in the plan's Summary Plan Description.2
Which accounts a trust can hold3
- Annuity
Mutual of America retirement annuities and Flexible Premium Annuity contracts cannot be retitled into a trust. The contract stays in the owner's name and a trust is connected only as beneficiary.2
- IRA
A Mutual of America IRA cannot be retitled into a trust. The account stays in the owner's name and a trust is connected only as beneficiary.2
- Employer retirement plan
An employer-plan account cannot be retitled into a trust. The account stays in the participant's name and a trust is connected only as beneficiary.2
Not in Mutual of America's published guidance2
- An online way to name a beneficiary
- Which trust documents it accepts
Sources2
- 1.Beneficiary Designation, Form 6463_GA, rev. 4/25
- 2.Designation of Trust as Beneficiary, Form 6475-GA, rev. 5/25
Sources
Data sourced from Mutual of America primary sources (20 pages reviewed). How we research.
Download these Mutual of America instructions
Download instructions for the whole estateA printable PDF with the steps, required documents, and contact details — verified against Mutual of America primary sources. Bring it to the branch or keep it beside the phone.
Mutual of America estate support
Participant Services (beneficiary designations and forms)
Phone
Withdrawal Processing Center (Form 7126)
Hours
Mailing address
Website
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