How to name beneficiaries and fund a trust at Baird
Covers 10 investment, and 7 retirement accounts — beneficiaries must be updated in-branch
Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated, P.O. Box 0672, Milwaukee, WI 53201-0672
Baird Trust Company
Baird Trust Company, 500 W. Jefferson St., Suite 2600, Louisville, KY 40202
Estate Settlement (via Financial Advisor)
Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated, P.O. Box 0672, Milwaukee, WI 53201-0672
The key to protecting your Baird investment accounts is making sure each one has a transfer mechanism in place—either a beneficiary designation or trust ownership. Without one, the account goes through probate, adding time, cost, and court involvement for your family.
With 17 product types, Baird offers a range of transfer options. Some investment accounts support Transfer on Death (TOD) designations, others can be retitled into a trust, and some require probate if no beneficiary is designated. The sections below break down each step.
- For brokerage accounts: complete the Transfer on Death (TOD) Beneficiary Designation form
- For retirement accounts: complete the IRA Beneficiary Designation form
- Full name, relationship, date of birth, SSN, and address
- For trusts as beneficiary: trust name, date established, and EIN
- Percentage allocations for primary and contingent beneficiaries (must total 100%)
Required Documents
- Trust name, date established, and tax ID (EIN or SSN)
Special Requirements
- The public IRA Beneficiary Addition/Change Form applies only to directly-held Baird Funds mutual fund IRAs and is processed by the custodian, U.S. Bank Global Fund Services; brokerage and advisory accounts custodied at Baird use advisor-provided TOD and IRA beneficiary forms with no public download URL
- Trusts can be named as beneficiaries on brokerage and retirement accounts
- Beneficiary designations typically take precedence over wills or trusts
- Baird operates through a Financial Advisor relationship model; most account changes go through your advisor
- Spousal consent may be required for certain retirement account beneficiary changes
Sources
Data sourced from Baird primary sources (20 pages reviewed). How we research.
Download these Baird instructions
Download instructions for the whole estateA printable PDF with the steps, required documents, and contact details — verified against Baird primary sources. Bring it to the branch or keep it beside the phone.
Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated, P.O. Box 0672, Milwaukee, WI 53201-0672
Baird Trust Company
Baird Trust Company, 500 W. Jefferson St., Suite 2600, Louisville, KY 40202
Estate Settlement (via Financial Advisor)
Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated, P.O. Box 0672, Milwaukee, WI 53201-0672
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