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Estate planning options at Oppenheimer

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 offers 15 investment accounts, each with its own transfer rules. The sections below cover how to set up beneficiaries, fund a trust, and which products support each approach.

No beneficiary form at Oppenheimer

Oppenheimer Individual Brokerage AccountOppenheimer Trust AccountOppenheimer Joint Brokerage AccountOppenheimer Margin AccountOppenheimer Advisory AccountOppenheimer Coverdell Education Savings Account (ESA)529 Plan (state-sponsored, established through Oppenheimer)Oppenheimer Estate Account
1
Contact the Oppenheimer Financial Professional who services the account. Oppenheimer directs current clients to their Financial Professional.
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General inquiries go to the Helpdesk at 800-221-5588 (Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 8 PM ET; Saturday, 10 AM to 2 PM ET) or info@opco.com.

What Oppenheimer says about beneficiaries and trusts

Each section is Oppenheimer's own statement, with the document it comes from numbered under Sources.

Which accounts take a beneficiary2

Investment account

For a brokerage account, the designation is a transfer on death (TOD) account, which Oppenheimer lists among its account types.1

IRA

The beneficiary designation on file is what the custodian uses to determine who receives the IRA at death.2

Who can be named3

A trust, IRAs

A trust can be named as a beneficiary.2

The estate, IRAs

An estate can be named as a beneficiary.2

A charity or nonprofit, IRAs

A charitable entity can be named as a beneficiary.2

What Oppenheimer's agreement says about beneficiaries1

Fees

Oppenheimer's fees for Transfer On Death Accounts are $50.00 for the initial account set-up and $25.00 per request to change beneficiaries.1

Which accounts a trust can hold1

Investment account

Oppenheimer lists trust accounts among its brokerage account types.1

Accounts handled elsewhere1

Oppenheimer Trust Company of Delaware

Trustee, co-trustee, custody and insurance trust services, working with the Oppenheimer Financial Professional3, 4

Phone: 1-302-529-2201

Mailing address: 3411 Silverside Road, Tatnall Building, Suite 105, Wilmington, DE 19810

Not in Oppenheimer's published guidance5

  • What the owner provides to name a beneficiary
  • A beneficiary designation form
  • What a designation takes to be effective
  • Beneficiary designation channel
  • Which trust documents it accepts

Sources4

SimplyTrustSimplyTrust Editorial·

Sources

Data sourced from Oppenheimer primary sources (8 pages reviewed). How we research.

Download these Oppenheimer instructions

Download instructions for the whole estate

A 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 estate support

Oppenheimer Trust Company of Delaware

Mailing address

Oppenheimer Trust Company of Delaware, 3411 Silverside Road, Tatnall Building, Suite 105, Wilmington, DE 19810
Verified Sep 2026

Estate planning articles

Learn how to protect your Oppenheimer accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.

Forms for Planning Your Estate

Free forms for planning your estate: a will, living trust, pour-over will, both powers of attorney, living will, and TOD deed.

Free

Pour-Over Will

Catch anything outside your trust. Pairs with your revocable trust.

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$12/month

Revocable Living Trust

Create a revocable living trust to avoid probate, protect privacy, and control asset distribution.

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Free

Last Will and Testament

Name your heirs, guardians, and final wishes. Free for every state.

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Free

Healthcare Power of Attorney

Name someone to make medical decisions if you can't.

Get Started
Free

Financial Power of Attorney

Name someone to manage your finances if you can't.

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Free

Transfer on Death Deed

Transfer real property to a beneficiary upon your death without probate. Available in 34 states and the District of Columbia.

Get Started
Free

Vehicle Transfer on Death

Name a beneficiary to inherit your vehicle at death without probate. Available in 26 states and the District of Columbia.

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Free

Living Will

State in advance which life-sustaining treatments you want or refuse, in the document your state recognizes, with signing instructions from the statute.

Get Started

All forms

Tools for Planning Your Estate

Free tools for planning your estate: what a will or trust costs, whether you need a trust or TOD deed, and how documents are signed.

How Much Does a Revocable Living Trust Cost?

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Do I Need a Revocable Trust?

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Trust or Will: Which Costs Less?

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What Does Estate Planning Actually Cost?

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How Much Life Insurance Do I Need?

Calculate your life insurance needs based on income, debts, and family situation.

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Are My Beneficiary Designations Protected?

Check how divorce, creditors, and state laws affect your beneficiary designations.

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How Do I Sign Estate Documents?

Find witness, notary, and remote signing requirements for all 50 states.

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