How to name beneficiaries and fund a trust at Pelican State CU
Covers 8 deposit, and 2 retirement accounts — beneficiaries must be updated in-branch
Pelican State Credit Union, PO Box 40088, Baton Rouge, LA 70835
Pelican State Credit Union, PO Box 40088, Baton Rouge, LA 70835
Member Services
Pelican State Credit Union, PO Box 40088, Baton Rouge, LA 70835
Estate planning at Pelican State CU means getting each account set up so it transfers automatically when you die—either through a POD beneficiary or trust ownership. Because Pelican State 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.
Pelican State CU offers 10 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.
- Bring government-issued photo ID
- Request a POD (Payable on Death) beneficiary designation form for deposit accounts or a beneficiary designation form for IRA accounts
- Provide beneficiary details: full name, date of birth, Social Security number, and relationship
- Designate primary and contingent beneficiaries with percentage allocations
- For IRA accounts in Louisiana, spousal consent is required when naming a non-spouse as primary beneficiary
Required Documents
- Trust name, date established, and tax ID (EIN or SSN)
Special Requirements
- POD designations available for deposit accounts (checking, savings, certificates, money market)
- Online beneficiary designation is not available; must use branch, phone, or mail
- IRA beneficiary designations are separate from POD designations on deposit accounts (Section 4 of the account agreement states a POD/trust designation does not apply to IRAs)
- Adding a joint owner is NOT a substitute for a POD designation in Louisiana. Section 3.a of Pelican's account agreement states that Louisiana law does not authorize Joint Tenancy with Rights of Survivorship accounts; the survivor gets continued access, not ownership of the deceased owner's share.
- When more than one POD beneficiary survives, they take the funds jointly in equal shares unless Pelican has documented different percentage allocations, so record the allocations explicitly if you do not want an equal split
- Louisiana is a community property state; spousal consent required when naming a non-spouse as primary IRA beneficiary
- Review recommended after marriage, divorce, birth of a child, or death of a beneficiary
Sources
Data sourced from Pelican State CU primary sources (13 pages reviewed). How we research.
Download these Pelican State CU instructions
Download instructions for the whole estateA printable PDF with the steps, required documents, and contact details — verified against Pelican State CU primary sources. Bring it to the branch or keep it beside the phone.
Pelican State Credit Union, PO Box 40088, Baton Rouge, LA 70835
Pelican State Credit Union, PO Box 40088, Baton Rouge, LA 70835
Member Services
Pelican State Credit Union, PO Box 40088, Baton Rouge, LA 70835
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