How to name beneficiaries and fund a trust at Symetra
Covers 14 insurance accounts — beneficiaries can be managed online
Symetra Life Insurance Company, PO Box 34690, Seattle, WA 98124-1690
Symetra Life Insurance Company, PO Box 34690, Seattle, WA 98124-1690
Individual Life & Annuity Claims / Group Life Claims
Symetra Life Insurance Company, PO Box 34690, Seattle, WA 98124-1690 (Overnight: 777 108th Ave NE, Suite 1200, Bellevue, WA 98004-5135)
For Symetra policyholders, estate planning comes down to one critical step: making sure the right beneficiaries are named on every policy. Insurance proceeds bypass probate entirely and go directly to whoever is listed—regardless of what a will says. When estate tax planning or controlled distributions are a factor, a trust can be named as beneficiary instead.
Across 14 product types, Symetra policies vary in how they transfer at death. The sections below walk through beneficiary designations, trust funding options, and which products support each method.
- Log in to your Symetra My Account at my.symetra.com (click "Log in to My Account" from symetra.com)
- Navigate to your life insurance policy details and select the beneficiary change option
- Complete the online Beneficiary Change Request form
- Designate primary and contingent beneficiaries with full legal names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, relationships, and percentage allocations totaling 100%
- For trusts: provide the full legal trust name including the trust date
- Review and submit the beneficiary designation electronically
- Note: only the policy owner can change the beneficiary; if naming an established trust, you must also submit a Trustee Certification and Disclosure form
Required Documents
- Trust name, date established, and tax ID (EIN or SSN)
Special Requirements
- If the owner is naming an established trust as a beneficiary, a Trustee Certification Form must be completed and submitted
- Trust beneficiary designations must include the complete trust name and trust date
- In community property states, spousal consent is required when changing the primary beneficiary from a spouse
- If the owner of the policy is a trust and the trustee is changing the primary beneficiary to a person other than the trust, the trustee should consult a tax or legal advisor due to potential unintended tax consequences
- Completing the Beneficiary Change Request form revokes all prior beneficiary designations
- Group life beneficiary changes may require coordination with employer HR department
Sources
Data sourced from Symetra primary sources (22 pages reviewed). How we research.
Download these Symetra instructions
Download instructions for the whole estateA printable PDF with the steps, required documents, and contact details — verified against Symetra primary sources. Bring it to the branch or keep it beside the phone.
Symetra Life Insurance Company, PO Box 34690, Seattle, WA 98124-1690
Symetra Life Insurance Company, PO Box 34690, Seattle, WA 98124-1690
Individual Life & Annuity Claims / Group Life Claims
Symetra Life Insurance Company, PO Box 34690, Seattle, WA 98124-1690 (Overnight: 777 108th Ave NE, Suite 1200, Bellevue, WA 98004-5135)
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