How to name beneficiaries and fund a trust at National Life Group
Covers 24 insurance accounts — beneficiaries can be managed online
National Life Group Customer Service (life and annuity)
Phone1-800-732-8939
Fax1-802-229-7054
Mailing Address
Centralized mailing address: National Life Group, One National Life Drive, Montpelier, VT 05604. Life service fax: 1-802-229-7054. Annuity service fax: 1-214-638-9162; annuity service e-mail: service@nationallife.com; document intake e-mail printed on the annuity forms: Imaging@NationalLife.com. LSW Texas campus: 15455 Dallas Parkway Ste. 800, Addison, TX 75001.
Equity Services, Inc. (broker-dealer; variable products)
WebsiteLearn more→
National Life Group Customer Service (life and annuity)
Phone1-800-732-8939
Fax1-802-229-7054
Mailing Address
Centralized mailing address: National Life Group, One National Life Drive, Montpelier, VT 05604. Life service fax: 1-802-229-7054. Annuity service fax: 1-214-638-9162; annuity service e-mail: service@nationallife.com; document intake e-mail printed on the annuity forms: Imaging@NationalLife.com. LSW Texas campus: 15455 Dallas Parkway Ste. 800, Addison, TX 75001.
Equity Services, Inc. (broker-dealer; variable products)
WebsiteLearn more→
National Life Group Claims (Death Claim Notice)
Phone1-800-732-8939
Fax1-802-229-7054
Mailing Address
National Life Group, One National Life Drive, Montpelier, VT 05604. One claims intake serves both underwriting companies (National Life Insurance Company, NY; Life Insurance Company of the Southwest, all other states). Annuity claim documents may also be faxed to 1-214-638-9162.
WebsiteNotify online→
Verified Jul 2026
Beneficiary designations are the foundation of estate planning for National Life Group 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.
Across 24 product types, National Life Group policies vary in how they transfer at death. The sections below walk through beneficiary designations, trust funding options, and which products support each method.
National Life Term Life (10-Year)National Life Term Life (15-Year)National Life Term Life (20-Year)National Life Term Life (30-Year)TotalSecure Whole LifeBasicSecure Universal LifeFlexLife Indexed Universal LifePeakLife Indexed Universal LifeSummitLife Indexed Universal LifeSurvivorLife Survivorship Indexed Universal LifeRapidProtect Indexed Universal LifeNational Life Variable Universal LifeGrowth Driver Single Premium Indexed AnnuityIncome Driver Single Premium Indexed AnnuityZenith Growth Single Premium Indexed AnnuityZenith Income Single Premium Indexed AnnuityFlex Secure Growth Flexible Premium Indexed AnnuityFlex Secure Growth Bonus Flexible Premium Indexed AnnuityFlex Select Income Flexible Premium Indexed AnnuityRetireMax Secure Multi-Year Guaranteed AnnuityGreen Mountain Freedom 5 Multi-Year Guaranteed AnnuityGreen Mountain Freedom Fixed Single Premium AnnuityGreen Mountain Freedom Flex Fixed Flexible Premium AnnuitySentinel Advantage Variable Annuity (SAVA)
1
Download the Beneficiary Agreement Request (Cat. No. 40447) from the service-forms library at https://www.nationallife.com/Contact-Service-Forms (direct PDF: https://merrillconnect.iscorp.com/nlg/docservice/viewDocument?mcItemNbr=40447&fgid=). This one form covers both life insurance policies and annuity contracts — the form's General Provisions state that where an annuity contract is covered, "policy" means "annuity contract" and "Insured" means the person on whose death the annuity death benefit is paid.
2
Do NOT use the Policy Change Request for Annuity (Cat. No. 100305) for a beneficiary change — that form says on its face "Do not use this form to request a Change of Beneficiary." It is for ownership, name, payment, and tax-qualification changes only.
3
Complete the form. Every filing submitting a beneficiary change revokes all prior designations, so list everyone you want to keep:
- First (Primary) Beneficiaries: name, relationship to insured, birthdate, Social Security number, phone, and percentage
- Second (Contingent) Beneficiaries in the same detail; percentages must total 100% within each class
- Mailing address for each beneficiary
- If a trust is a beneficiary, fill the trust block that follows each class: Trust Date, Trust ID #, Trustees, Grantor, and Trust Name
4
Sign and date the form. If you live in AZ, CA, ID, LA, NM, NV, TX, WA, or WI, complete the Spousal Consent Attestation on the form; a spouse signature is also required if the policy is governed by ERISA. If you reside in Massachusetts and the contract is not an annuity, a witness must sign, and a named beneficiary cannot be the witness.
5
Return the signed form to National Life. Annuity forms carry the document-intake line on the form itself: fax 214-638-9162 or e-mail Imaging@NationalLife.com. Life forms can be faxed to 802-229-7054.
Required Documents
- Trust name, date established, and tax ID (EIN or SSN)
Special Requirements
- A new Beneficiary Agreement Request revokes every prior beneficiary designation on the policies it lists — re-list anyone you want to keep
- Percentages must total 100% within the primary class and 100% within the contingent class
- Spousal Consent Attestation applies in AZ, CA, ID, LA, NM, NV, TX, WA, and WI; a spouse signature is required if the policy is governed by ERISA
- Massachusetts residents must have a witness sign on non-annuity policies, and a named beneficiary cannot serve as the witness
- Do not use the Policy Change Request for Annuity (Cat. No. 100305) for beneficiary changes — the form itself prohibits it; annuity beneficiary changes go on the Beneficiary Agreement Request
- Default 10-day short-term survivorship clause applies unless state law provides otherwise
- Naming "the Estate" as beneficiary can force the estate through probate before National Life will pay the proceeds
Sources
Data sourced from National Life Group primary sources (15 pages reviewed). How we research.
Download these National Life Group instructions
Download instructions for the whole estateA printable PDF with the steps, required documents, and contact details — verified against National Life Group primary sources. Bring it to the branch or keep it beside the phone.
National Life Group Customer Service (life and annuity)
Phone1-800-732-8939
Fax1-802-229-7054
Mailing Address
Centralized mailing address: National Life Group, One National Life Drive, Montpelier, VT 05604. Life service fax: 1-802-229-7054. Annuity service fax: 1-214-638-9162; annuity service e-mail: service@nationallife.com; document intake e-mail printed on the annuity forms: Imaging@NationalLife.com. LSW Texas campus: 15455 Dallas Parkway Ste. 800, Addison, TX 75001.
Equity Services, Inc. (broker-dealer; variable products)
WebsiteLearn more→
National Life Group Customer Service (life and annuity)
Phone1-800-732-8939
Fax1-802-229-7054
Mailing Address
Centralized mailing address: National Life Group, One National Life Drive, Montpelier, VT 05604. Life service fax: 1-802-229-7054. Annuity service fax: 1-214-638-9162; annuity service e-mail: service@nationallife.com; document intake e-mail printed on the annuity forms: Imaging@NationalLife.com. LSW Texas campus: 15455 Dallas Parkway Ste. 800, Addison, TX 75001.
Equity Services, Inc. (broker-dealer; variable products)
WebsiteLearn more→
National Life Group Claims (Death Claim Notice)
Phone1-800-732-8939
Fax1-802-229-7054
Mailing Address
National Life Group, One National Life Drive, Montpelier, VT 05604. One claims intake serves both underwriting companies (National Life Insurance Company, NY; Life Insurance Company of the Southwest, all other states). Annuity claim documents may also be faxed to 1-214-638-9162.
WebsiteNotify online→
Verified Jul 2026
Estate planning articles
Learn how to protect your National Life Group accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
