How to name beneficiaries and fund a trust at SECU
Covers 10 deposit, 4 retirement, 1 investment, and 4 insurance accounts — beneficiaries must be updated in-branch
SECU, P.O. Box 27963, Raleigh, NC 27611-7963
Financial Advisory Services / Members Trust Company
SECU Life Insurance Claims
SECU, P.O. Box 27963, Raleigh, NC 27611-7963
Preparing your SECU accounts for estate transfer involves two key steps: designating beneficiaries on each account and, where appropriate, retitling accounts into a trust. Because SECU is a membership-based institution, trust retitling must maintain the membership eligibility requirement. Accounts with Payable on Death designations or trust ownership bypass probate entirely.
The transfer rules at SECU vary across 19 accounts. Below is a breakdown of beneficiary options, trust funding, and which products support each method.
- Request a new account signature form
- Enter primary and contingent beneficiary information
- For a trust beneficiary: provide the trust name, trust date, and trust EIN
- All account owners must sign the form
- Submit the signed form to the branch representative
Required Documents
- Trust name, date established, and tax ID (EIN or SSN)
Special Requirements
- POD designation is available for Share (savings), checking, money market, and Share Term Certificate accounts
- Trusts can be named as POD beneficiaries; if a trust is named, it must be the sole beneficiary (no co-beneficiaries with a trust)
- IRA beneficiary designations are completed on a separate beneficiary form at the time of account application
- Upon death of the last surviving owner, POD funds are distributed to beneficiaries and are not controlled by the will
- Each account must be updated individually; beneficiary designations do not automatically carry across accounts
- Beneficiary designation is part of the account signature form; there is no separate downloadable form on the public website
- Youth accounts (FAT CAT, Zard) have mandatory joint ownership with an adult; independent POD designation is not applicable for minors
Sources
Data sourced from SECU primary sources (18 pages reviewed). How we research.
Download these SECU instructions
Download instructions for the whole estateA printable PDF with the steps, required documents, and contact details — verified against SECU primary sources. Bring it to the branch or keep it beside the phone.
SECU, P.O. Box 27963, Raleigh, NC 27611-7963
Financial Advisory Services / Members Trust Company
SECU Life Insurance Claims
SECU, P.O. Box 27963, Raleigh, NC 27611-7963
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