
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
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
Who can be named3
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
Sources
Data sourced from Oppenheimer primary sources (8 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 estate support
Oppenheimer Trust Company of Delaware
Phone
Mailing address
Website
Estate planning articles
Learn how to protect your Oppenheimer accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
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Get a complete guide for your specific circumstances.

New Baby or Adoption
Your family is growing. Your protection should too. Guardian nominations, trusts for minors, beneficiary updates, and the documents new parents need in place.
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Marriage
What married couples need in place: one joint trust or two, wills, beneficiary updates, and the spousal rights your state grants you automatically.
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New Home
How to put your house in a revocable trust: the deed you record, what it does to your mortgage and property taxes, and when a TOD deed is simpler.
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Retirement
Retirement changes your financial picture. Healthcare directives, beneficiary reviews, long-term care planning, and protecting what you've built.
Learn moreForms 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.
Revocable Living Trust
Create a revocable living trust to avoid probate, protect privacy, and control asset distribution.
Last Will and Testament
Name your heirs, guardians, and final wishes. Free for every state.
Transfer on Death Deed
Transfer real property to a beneficiary upon your death without probate. Available in 34 states and the District of Columbia.
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?
Compare revocable living trust costs across providers including online services and attorneys.
How Does SimplyTrust Compare to LegalZoom, Trust & Will, and Other Services?
Compare what it costs to make a trust official across SimplyTrust, LegalZoom, Trust & Will, Rocket Lawyer, and Quicken WillMaker.
Do I Need a Revocable Trust?
Find out if a revocable trust makes sense based on your state, estate value, and family situation.
Trust or Will: Which Costs Less?
Compare the cost of probate vs a trust for your state and estate value.
What Does Estate Planning Actually Cost?
Compare costs across estate planning providers including online services and attorneys.
How Much Life Insurance Do I Need?
Calculate your life insurance needs based on income, debts, and family situation.






