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Home→Financial Institutions→Protective→Preparing your estate

How to name beneficiaries and fund a trust at Protective

Covers 11 insurance accounts — beneficiaries can be managed online

OverviewPreparing your estateWhen someone dies

Protective

Subsidiary of Dai-ichi Life Holdings, Inc.

protective.com→
Protective logo
Phone1-800-866-9933
Emailservice@protective.com
Mailing Address

Protective Life Insurance Company, P.O. Box 12687, Birmingham, AL 35202-6687

Variable Life Insurance
1-800-265-1545
Annuity Services (Mon-Fri 7:30 AM-5 PM CT)
1-800-456-6330
MONY/Equitable Customers
1-800-487-6669
Immediate Benefit Account
1-866-412-2071
WebsiteLearn more→
Phone1-800-866-9933
Emailservice@protective.com
Mailing Address

Protective Life Insurance Company, P.O. Box 12687, Birmingham, AL 35202-6687

Variable Life Insurance
1-800-265-1545
Annuity Services (Mon-Fri 7:30 AM-5 PM CT)
1-800-456-6330
MONY/Equitable Customers
1-800-487-6669
Immediate Benefit Account
1-866-412-2071
WebsiteLearn more→

Life Insurance Claims

Phone1-800-424-1592
Emailclaims@protective.com
Fax205-268-6833
Mailing Address

Protective Life Insurance Company, Claims, P.O. Box 12486, Birmingham, AL 35202

Immediate Benefit Account
1-866-412-2071
WebsiteNotify online→
Verified May 2026

Estate planning with Protective policies centers on beneficiary designations—the single most important step for ensuring life insurance proceeds and annuity benefits reach the intended recipients without probate involvement. Unlike bank or brokerage accounts, insurance products are not retitled into trusts; instead, trusts are named as beneficiaries when estate tax planning or controlled distributions are needed.

Protective has 11 product types, and the estate transfer rules differ across them. Some support beneficiary designations, some can be retitled into a trust, and others will require probate if nothing is set up. Each is covered below.

Protective Classic Choice TermProtective Whole Life InsuranceProtective Lifetime Assurance ULProtective Custom Choice ULProtective Indexed Universal Life InsuranceProtective Variable Universal Life InsuranceProtective Survivorship Life InsuranceProtective Secure Saver Fixed AnnuityProtective Income Builder Indexed AnnuityProtective Variable AnnuityProtective Immediate Annuity
1
Log in to your MyAccount at myaccount.protective.com
2
Locate the policy on which you want to change your beneficiary
3
Select "I want to" and then "Change My Beneficiaries"
4
Enter beneficiary details:
  • Add or update primary beneficiaries with full legal names, dates of birth, relationships, and percentage allocations totaling 100%
  • Add or update contingent beneficiaries if desired
  • For trusts: provide the full legal trust name, date established, and trust EIN
5
Review and confirm your beneficiary designations
Online Portal→

Required Documents

  • Trust name, date established, and tax ID (EIN or SSN)

Special Requirements

  • Trusts can be named as beneficiaries on life insurance policies and annuity contracts
  • Primary and contingent beneficiaries allowed with percentage allocations totaling 100%
  • All beneficiary changes must include designation of a primary beneficiary, even if only changing the contingent beneficiary
  • In community property states, spousal consent may be required on the beneficiary change form
  • Beneficiary designations override instructions in a will
  • An insurable interest is required for all beneficiary designations
  • MyAccount features may vary depending on account type; some policies may require paper form submission
  • For annuity beneficiary changes, use Form RET-2403 (Beneficiary Change Annuity Service Form)
  • When naming a custodian for a minor child, use specific verbiage referencing the state Uniform Transfers to Minors Act
SimplyTrustSimplyTrust Editorial·Updated May 24, 2026

Sources

  • protective.com
  • myaccount.protective.com
  • claims.protective.com
  • lad3.protective.com

Data sourced from Protective primary sources (24 pages reviewed). How we research.

Protective

Subsidiary of Dai-ichi Life Holdings, Inc.

protective.com→
Protective logo
Phone1-800-866-9933
Emailservice@protective.com
Mailing Address

Protective Life Insurance Company, P.O. Box 12687, Birmingham, AL 35202-6687

Variable Life Insurance
1-800-265-1545
Annuity Services (Mon-Fri 7:30 AM-5 PM CT)
1-800-456-6330
MONY/Equitable Customers
1-800-487-6669
Immediate Benefit Account
1-866-412-2071
WebsiteLearn more→
Phone1-800-866-9933
Emailservice@protective.com
Mailing Address

Protective Life Insurance Company, P.O. Box 12687, Birmingham, AL 35202-6687

Variable Life Insurance
1-800-265-1545
Annuity Services (Mon-Fri 7:30 AM-5 PM CT)
1-800-456-6330
MONY/Equitable Customers
1-800-487-6669
Immediate Benefit Account
1-866-412-2071
WebsiteLearn more→

Life Insurance Claims

Phone1-800-424-1592
Emailclaims@protective.com
Fax205-268-6833
Mailing Address

Protective Life Insurance Company, Claims, P.O. Box 12486, Birmingham, AL 35202

Immediate Benefit Account
1-866-412-2071
WebsiteNotify online→
Verified May 2026

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Learn how to protect your Protective accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.

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