How to designate beneficiaries at Pentegra
Covers 9 retirement accounts — beneficiaries can be updated by phone
Participant Services
Phone866-633-4015
Toll-Free866-633-4015
Mailing Address
Pentegra Services, Inc., 2261 Market Street, Suite 86302, San Francisco, CA 94114 (corporate headquarters: 2 Enterprise Drive, Suite 408, Shelton, CT 06484)
401(k), ESOP, or Non-Qualified Plan Participants
Pension / Defined Benefit Plan Participants
Non-ERISA 403(b) or IRA Participants (Pentegra Trust Company)
Plan Sponsors & Partners
Charlotte, NC office
WebsiteLearn more→
Participant Services
Phone866-633-4015
Toll-Free866-633-4015
Mailing Address
Pentegra Services, Inc., 2261 Market Street, Suite 86302, San Francisco, CA 94114 (corporate headquarters: 2 Enterprise Drive, Suite 408, Shelton, CT 06484)
401(k), ESOP, or Non-Qualified Plan Participants
Pension / Defined Benefit Plan Participants
Non-ERISA 403(b) or IRA Participants (Pentegra Trust Company)
Plan Sponsors & Partners
Charlotte, NC office
WebsiteLearn more→
Participant Services (death distributions run through the employer plan administrator)
Phone866-634-5873
Toll-Free866-633-4015
Fax914-821-9582
Mailing Address
Pentegra Trust Company, c/o ASPire, ATTN: Distributions, 4010 Boy Scout Blvd, Suite 450, Tampa, FL 33607 (403(b) death distributions). Beneficiary changes and 403(b) Services: Pentegra Trust Company, c/o Pentegra Retirement Services, ATTN: 403(b) Services, 701 Westchester Avenue, Suite 320E, White Plains, NY 10604.
401(k), ESOP, or Non-Qualified Plan Claims
Pension / Defined Benefit Plan Claims
403(b) / IRA Claims (Pentegra Trust Company, c/o ASPire)
WebsiteNotify online→
Verified Jul 2026
Estate planning for Pentegra retirement retirement accounts revolves around beneficiary designations. These designations—not a will—control who receives the account balance at death. For IRAs and employer-sponsored plans, the beneficiary designation also determines the tax treatment of inherited distributions, making it a decision with both legal and financial implications.
The transfer rules at Pentegra vary across 9 retirement accounts. Below is a breakdown of beneficiary options, trust funding, and which products support each method.
401(k) Plan401(k) Profit Sharing PlanDefined Benefit Pension PlanCash Balance PlanMultiple Employer Plan (MEP)Pooled Employer Plan (PEP)403(b) Multiple Employer PlanEmployee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation Plan
1
Call the participant line for your plan type: 866-633-4015 (401(k), ESOP, non-qualified), 203-567-2237 (pension / defined benefit), or 866-634-5873 (non-ERISA 403(b) or IRA)
2
Ask for the beneficiary form for your plan, or ask who your plan administrator is if you are unsure which employer holds the plan
3
Complete the form and return it to the address, fax, or email printed on it — a phone call alone does not change a beneficiary
Required Documents
- Trust name, date established, and tax ID (EIN or SSN)
Special Requirements
- These are employer retirement plans: the account cannot be retitled into a revocable living trust. A trust can only be named as beneficiary.
- Spousal consent in writing is required whenever a married participant names someone other than the spouse; on the 403(b) form the spouse must sign before an authorized plan representative or a Notary Public
- The 403(b) form warns that a designation made while unmarried becomes INVALID if the participant is married at death — the death benefit goes to the surviving spouse unless the spouse consents in writing before payment. Marrying after you file a designation means filing a new one.
- Each new designation revokes all prior designations; keep-anyone must be restated
- A separate form is required for each plan account (a participant with both an ORP and a TSA 403(b) account files two)
- Naming a trust is allowed, but a trust is not a "designated beneficiary" for payout purposes unless it qualifies under the IRS rules — Pentegra's death-distribution instructions distinguish a "natural person or qualifying trust"
- If no beneficiary is designated, Pentegra's participant guidance is blunt: the account is generally paid to the estate and becomes subject to probate
- Defined benefit and cash balance beneficiary rights are limited by the plan's annuity form of payment; call 203-567-2237 for the plan's survivor options
Sources
Data sourced from Pentegra primary sources (15 pages reviewed). How we research.
Download these Pentegra instructions
Download instructions for the whole estateA printable PDF with the steps, required documents, and contact details — verified against Pentegra primary sources. Bring it to the branch or keep it beside the phone.
Participant Services
Phone866-633-4015
Toll-Free866-633-4015
Mailing Address
Pentegra Services, Inc., 2261 Market Street, Suite 86302, San Francisco, CA 94114 (corporate headquarters: 2 Enterprise Drive, Suite 408, Shelton, CT 06484)
401(k), ESOP, or Non-Qualified Plan Participants
Pension / Defined Benefit Plan Participants
Non-ERISA 403(b) or IRA Participants (Pentegra Trust Company)
Plan Sponsors & Partners
Charlotte, NC office
WebsiteLearn more→
Participant Services
Phone866-633-4015
Toll-Free866-633-4015
Mailing Address
Pentegra Services, Inc., 2261 Market Street, Suite 86302, San Francisco, CA 94114 (corporate headquarters: 2 Enterprise Drive, Suite 408, Shelton, CT 06484)
401(k), ESOP, or Non-Qualified Plan Participants
Pension / Defined Benefit Plan Participants
Non-ERISA 403(b) or IRA Participants (Pentegra Trust Company)
Plan Sponsors & Partners
Charlotte, NC office
WebsiteLearn more→
Participant Services (death distributions run through the employer plan administrator)
Phone866-634-5873
Toll-Free866-633-4015
Fax914-821-9582
Mailing Address
Pentegra Trust Company, c/o ASPire, ATTN: Distributions, 4010 Boy Scout Blvd, Suite 450, Tampa, FL 33607 (403(b) death distributions). Beneficiary changes and 403(b) Services: Pentegra Trust Company, c/o Pentegra Retirement Services, ATTN: 403(b) Services, 701 Westchester Avenue, Suite 320E, White Plains, NY 10604.
401(k), ESOP, or Non-Qualified Plan Claims
Pension / Defined Benefit Plan Claims
403(b) / IRA Claims (Pentegra Trust Company, c/o ASPire)
WebsiteNotify online→
Verified Jul 2026
Estate planning articles
Learn how to protect your Pentegra accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
