How to designate beneficiaries at STRS Ohio

After retirement, only the death benefit beneficiary is changed through the Online Personal Account or form 14-102. The plan-of-payment beneficiary is set at retirement.^{1, 2}

Under the Defined Benefit Plan, if the member has qualified children at death, all qualified survivors receive monthly survivor benefits regardless of the beneficiaries named.^{3, 4}

A named trust must be an inter vivos (living) trust, identified by its name and date of creation.^{3, 5, 4, 1}

A trust receives only a lump-sum withdrawal, and only if there are no qualified children eligible for monthly benefits at the member's death.^{3, 4}

A testamentary trust cannot be designated.^{3, 5, 4, 1}

On forms 16-126, 16-600 and 16-601, the member completes either Part 1, the succession of beneficiaries, or Part 2, beneficiaries by name, not both.^{3, 5, 4}

For Defined Contribution and Combined Plan members, the plan document's succession of beneficiaries is the surviving spouse; children, share and share alike; parents, share and share alike; then the estate.^{5, 4}

The form must be signed only by the member or the guardian of the member's estate. A power of attorney signature is not acceptable, and a guardian must provide a copy of the guardian papers.^{3, 5, 4}

Any corrections or use of correction fluid invalidate a pre-retirement designation. Part 1 or Part 2 of the form is completed, not both.^{3, 5, 4}

A married Defined Contribution or Combined Plan member who names a primary beneficiary other than the spouse needs the spouse's signed, notarized spousal consent form.^{5, 4}

For pensions. Completed by the member. Available to download.³

For pensions. Completed by the member. Available to download.⁵

For pensions. Completed by the member. Available to download.⁴

For pensions. Completed by the retiree. Available to download.¹

A designation is not valid unless it is signed by the member and received by STRS Ohio before the member's death.^{3, 5, 4}

Marriage, the birth or adoption of a child, the death of a spouse, or withdrawal of the account automatically cancels a pre-retirement designation and invokes the succession of beneficiaries, unless a new designation is filed with STRS Ohio before death.^{6, 3, 5, 4}

Divorce, dissolution or legal separation automatically cancels a pre-retirement designation and invokes the succession of beneficiaries, unless a new designation is filed with STRS Ohio before death.^{6, 3, 5, 4}