How to name beneficiaries and fund a trust at PNC Bank
Covers 9 deposit, 3 retirement, 2 investment, and 3 lending accounts — beneficiaries can be managed online
Notice of Death team (documents go to PNC Document Review); Probate Team handles the account afterward
Phone1-888-762-2265
Mailing Address
PNC Bank, Document Review, PO Box 609, Pittsburgh, PA 15230-0609, Mailstop: P7-PFSC-05-4
Probate Team
WebsiteNotify online→
Verified Jul 2026
Preparing your PNC Bank accounts for estate transfer involves two primary strategies: designating beneficiaries on individual accounts and, where supported, retitling accounts into a revocable living trust. Both approaches bypass probate, but they work differently depending on the account type.
PNC Bank has 17 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.
PNC Simple CheckingVirtual WalletVirtual Wallet with Performance SpendVirtual Wallet with Performance SelectVirtual Wallet Checking ProStandard SavingsPNC High Yield SavingsPremiere Money MarketFixed Rate CD
1
Log in to PNC Online Banking at pnc.com
2
Navigate to the account you want to update
3
Select "Manage Beneficiaries" in the Features menu or on the Information & Services tab
4
Add beneficiary details:
- Select "Add Beneficiary" to designate a POD beneficiary
- Enter full legal name, relationship, date of birth, and Social Security number
- For trusts: provide trust name, date established, and EIN
- Specify percentage allocation (you can add up to 15 beneficiary profiles)
5
Review and confirm beneficiary designations
Required Documents
- Trust name, date established, and tax ID (EIN or SSN)
Special Requirements
- POD beneficiaries are designated on the account signature card (deposit accounts). Brokerage TOD beneficiaries are designated on a separate PNC Investments Beneficiary Designation Form -- the two systems do not talk to each other
- You can add up to 15 beneficiary profiles per account
- Per the CD/IRA account agreement, POD beneficiaries have survivorship among themselves: if one POD beneficiary predeceases the owner, the SURVIVING POD beneficiaries take full ownership and the deceased beneficiary's heirs take nothing. If no POD beneficiary survives the last owner, the account is payable to that owner's heirs or estate
- Where state law lets you modify an account or the distribution of its funds by written notice, PNC's Account Agreement for Personal Accounts requires that notice to be NOTARIZED and mailed to PNC Bank, PO Box 609, Pittsburgh, PA 15230-0609 -- notice is only effective once PNC has actually received it there and has had a reasonable opportunity to act on it
- Beneficiary designations override your will
- No fee to add or change beneficiaries
Sources
Data sourced from PNC Bank primary sources (15 pages reviewed). How we research.
Download these PNC Bank instructions
Download instructions for the whole estateA printable PDF with the steps, required documents, and contact details — verified against PNC Bank primary sources. Bring it to the branch or keep it beside the phone.
Notice of Death team (documents go to PNC Document Review); Probate Team handles the account afterward
Phone1-888-762-2265
Mailing Address
PNC Bank, Document Review, PO Box 609, Pittsburgh, PA 15230-0609, Mailstop: P7-PFSC-05-4
Probate Team
WebsiteNotify online→
Verified Jul 2026
Estate planning articles
Learn how to protect your PNC Bank accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
