How to name beneficiaries and fund a trust at Raymond James
Covers 9 investment, and 7 retirement accounts — beneficiaries must be updated in-branch

Client Services
Raymond James Financial Center, 880 Carillon Parkway, St. Petersburg, FL 33716
Raymond James Trust, N.A.
Raymond James Trust, N.A., 880 Carillon Parkway, St. Petersburg, FL 33716
Death Claims / Estate Settlement
Raymond James Financial Center, 880 Carillon Parkway, St. Petersburg, FL 33716
There are two ways to keep your Raymond James investment accounts out of probate: adding beneficiary designations and retitling eligible accounts into a revocable living trust. Which approach works best depends on the account type and your overall estate plan.
Across 16 product types, Raymond James investment accounts vary in how they transfer at death. The sections below walk through Transfer on Death (TOD) designations, trust funding options, and which products support each method.
- Beneficiary name, date of birth, SSN, relationship, address, and percentage allocation
- Designate primary and contingent beneficiaries (up to 9 beneficiaries; allocations must total 100%)
- Notarized spousal consent if married and naming non-spouse on employer-sponsored plan
- Notarized letter designating custodian if beneficiary is a minor
Required Documents
- Trust name, date established, and tax ID (EIN or SSN)
Special Requirements
- Advisor-centric model: nearly all beneficiary changes go through your assigned financial advisor
- No confirmed fully self-service online beneficiary update capability via Client Access portal
- Up to 9 beneficiaries may be designated per account
- Separate forms for IRA beneficiary and brokerage TOD designations
- TOD beneficiary designations supersede any will or trust provisions
- Request confirmation of receipt and processing when submitting forms
- Account title changes to reflect TOD (e.g., "TOD DTD MM/DD/YYYY")
Sources
Data sourced from Raymond James primary sources (25 pages reviewed). How we research.
Download these Raymond James instructions
Download instructions for the whole estateA printable PDF with the steps, required documents, and contact details — verified against Raymond James primary sources. Bring it to the branch or keep it beside the phone.

Client Services
Raymond James Financial Center, 880 Carillon Parkway, St. Petersburg, FL 33716
Raymond James Trust, N.A.
Raymond James Trust, N.A., 880 Carillon Parkway, St. Petersburg, FL 33716
Death Claims / Estate Settlement
Raymond James Financial Center, 880 Carillon Parkway, St. Petersburg, FL 33716
Estate planning articles
Learn how to protect your Raymond James accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
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