How to name beneficiaries and fund a trust at Patelco CU
Covers 9 deposit, and 6 retirement accounts — beneficiaries can be managed online
Patelco Credit Union, PO Box 2227, Merced, CA 95344
Patelco Credit Union, PO Box 2227, Merced, CA 95344
Dept. 110 - Specialized Accounts
Patelco Credit Union, ATTN: Dept. 110 - Specialized Accounts, 3 Park Place, Dublin, CA 94568
Estate planning at Patelco CU means getting each account set up so it transfers automatically when you die—either through a POD beneficiary or trust ownership. Because Patelco CU is a membership-based institution, trust retitling must maintain the membership eligibility requirement. Without one of these in place, accounts may require probate before your family can access the funds.
Patelco CU has 15 product types, and the estate transfer rules differ across them. Some support Payable on Death (POD) designations, some can be retitled into a trust, and others will require probate if nothing is set up. Each is covered below.
- Navigate to Accounts, then select Joints, Beneficiaries & Contacts
- Add or update POD beneficiary designations
Required Documents
- Trust name, date established, and tax ID (EIN or SSN)
Special Requirements
- Eligible accounts: checking, savings, money market, and share certificate accounts
- IRA accounts use a separate [IRA Beneficiary Designation](https://secure.patelco.org/forms/IRA_beneficiary.pdf) form, which states that it overrides all previous designations for that IRA; completed IRA forms go to Patelco Credit Union, 3 Park Place, Dublin, CA 94568
- HSA accounts use a separate [HSA Beneficiary Designation](https://www.patelco.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/HSA-designation-of-beneficiary.pdf) form
- POD beneficiaries are NOT permitted on UTMA or fiduciary accounts (Member Handbook, effective July 1, 2025)
- With more than one POD beneficiary, Patelco pays account proceeds in equal shares unless the member specifies otherwise in writing on the membership application or another authenticated written instruction
- Patelco retains and follows only the member's most recent authorization, and treats any omission from it as intentional: if an earlier form named a POD beneficiary and the current form names none, Patelco assumes the share accounts pass to the estate
- Before funds or account information are released, POD beneficiaries must identify themselves under Patelco's Customer Identification Policy and pass any legally required screening (including OFAC screening)
- A spouse's community property interest in the account, if asserted at the member's death, reduces the amount that transfers to a non-spouse POD beneficiary
- As of July 1, 2025, new sub-accounts receive the beneficiary designations the member specifies rather than automatically inheriting prior designations
Sources
Data sourced from Patelco CU primary sources (23 pages reviewed). How we research.
Download these Patelco CU instructions
Download instructions for the whole estateA printable PDF with the steps, required documents, and contact details — verified against Patelco CU primary sources. Bring it to the branch or keep it beside the phone.
Patelco Credit Union, PO Box 2227, Merced, CA 95344
Patelco Credit Union, PO Box 2227, Merced, CA 95344
Dept. 110 - Specialized Accounts
Patelco Credit Union, ATTN: Dept. 110 - Specialized Accounts, 3 Park Place, Dublin, CA 94568
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