How to name beneficiaries and fund a trust at Oppenheimer
Covers 8 investment, 7 retirement, and 1 hsa accounts — beneficiaries must be updated in-branch
Oppenheimer Helpdesk
Phone1-800-221-5588
Toll-Free1-800-221-5588
Emailinfo@opco.com
Mailing Address
Oppenheimer & Co. Inc., 85 Broad Street, New York, NY 10004
New York Headquarters
Oppenheimer Trust Company of Delaware
WebsiteLearn more→
Oppenheimer Trust Company of Delaware
Phone(302) 529-2201
Mailing Address
Oppenheimer Trust Company of Delaware, 3411 Silverside Road, Tatnall Building, Suite 105, Wilmington, DE 19810
WebsiteLearn more→
Oppenheimer Helpdesk (routes to the Financial Professional servicing the account)
Phone1-800-221-5588
Emailinfo@opco.com
Mailing Address
Oppenheimer & Co. Inc., 85 Broad Street, New York, NY 10004
WebsiteNotify online→
Verified Jul 2026
Estate planning for your Oppenheimer investment accounts starts with understanding how each one transfers at death. Beneficiary designations and trust retitling both bypass probate, but the right approach depends on the account type, your tax situation, and how much control you want over distributions.
Oppenheimer has 16 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.
Oppenheimer Individual Brokerage AccountOppenheimer Joint Brokerage AccountOppenheimer Margin AccountOppenheimer Asset Management (OAM) Advisory AccountOppenheimer Coverdell Education Savings Account (ESA)529 Plan (state-sponsored, established through Oppenheimer)Oppenheimer Trust AccountOppenheimer Estate Account
1
Bring government-issued photo ID to the Oppenheimer office servicing the account and meet with your Financial Professional.
2
Complete the TOD registration form (brokerage, advisory, or margin account) or the beneficiary designation for the retirement account or HSA.
3
Provide each beneficiary's full legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, relationship, and address, with primary and contingent allocations totaling 100%. For a trust beneficiary, provide the trust's legal name, date established, and taxpayer identification number.
4
Sign the form in the branch and ask for a copy for your records.
Required Documents
- Trust name, date established, and tax ID (EIN or SSN)
Special Requirements
- TOD registration fees, from the Brokerage Relationship and Disclosure Guide fee schedule: $50 initial set-up, $25 per request to change beneficiaries, and $25 per designated beneficiary for the distribution upon death.
- A trust can be named as the TOD beneficiary of a brokerage account or as the beneficiary of a retirement account. Naming a NON-QUALIFIED trust as IRA beneficiary makes it a non-person beneficiary, which Oppenheimer's IRA Beneficiary Distribution Options guide warns can limit the payout to five years.
- A trust or the estate as HSA beneficiary destroys the HSA's tax status at death (IRS Publication 969) — name a person, and a spouse if you have one.
- TOD and beneficiary designations on the account control over anything a will or trust says. The form on file at Oppenheimer wins.
- A married Individual 401(k) participant's spouse is the default beneficiary under federal law; a non-spouse designation requires the spouse's written consent.
- Oppenheimer does not offer online beneficiary self-service — every designation goes through a signed paper form via the Financial Professional.
Sources
Data sourced from Oppenheimer primary sources (15 pages reviewed). How we research.
Download these Oppenheimer instructions
Download instructions for the whole estateA printable PDF with the steps, required documents, and contact details — verified against Oppenheimer primary sources. Bring it to the branch or keep it beside the phone.
Oppenheimer Helpdesk
Phone1-800-221-5588
Toll-Free1-800-221-5588
Emailinfo@opco.com
Mailing Address
Oppenheimer & Co. Inc., 85 Broad Street, New York, NY 10004
New York Headquarters
Oppenheimer Trust Company of Delaware
WebsiteLearn more→
Oppenheimer Trust Company of Delaware
Phone(302) 529-2201
Mailing Address
Oppenheimer Trust Company of Delaware, 3411 Silverside Road, Tatnall Building, Suite 105, Wilmington, DE 19810
WebsiteLearn more→
Oppenheimer Helpdesk (routes to the Financial Professional servicing the account)
Phone1-800-221-5588
Emailinfo@opco.com
Mailing Address
Oppenheimer & Co. Inc., 85 Broad Street, New York, NY 10004
WebsiteNotify online→
Verified Jul 2026
Estate planning articles
Learn how to protect your Oppenheimer accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
