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)
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.
National Life Group Customer Service (life and annuity)
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.
National Life Group Claims (Death Claim Notice)
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.
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.
- 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
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)
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.
National Life Group Customer Service (life and annuity)
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.
National Life Group Claims (Death Claim Notice)
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.
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