How to name beneficiaries and fund a trust at Synovus
Beneficiaries are managed in branch or by phone. Trust paperwork is taken in branch or by phone
Synovus is now part of Pinnacle BankAcquired, effective January 2026
Synovus Bank merged into Pinnacle Bank on January 2, 2026, with Pinnacle Bank as the surviving bank. Synovus banking products are now provided by Pinnacle Bank, a Tennessee bank, dba Synovus Bank, and the Synovus brand continues until it consolidates under the Pinnacle brand in early 2027.
Estate planning for your Synovus accounts starts with understanding how each one transfers at death. Beneficiary designations bypass probate, but the right approach depends on the account type, your tax situation, and how much control you want over distributions.
Synovus offers 13 accounts, each with its own transfer rules. The sections below cover how to set up beneficiaries, fund a trust, and which products support each approach.
No beneficiary form at Synovus
Beneficiaries are named in branch or by phone.
Beneficiary designation is not available for investment accounts at Synovus.
What Synovus says about beneficiaries and trusts
Each section is Synovus's own statement, with the document it comes from numbered under Sources.
Which accounts take a beneficiary1
- IRA
The IRA's own beneficiary designation provisions control.1
State requirements Synovus statesAlabama, Florida, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee
- Alabama
On a single-party account with a pay-on-death designation, ownership passes at the owner's death to the designated pay-on-death beneficiaries and is not part of the owner's estate.1
On a multiple-party account with right of survivorship and a pay-on-death designation, ownership passes to the pay-on-death beneficiaries at the death of the last surviving party.1
- Florida
On a single-party account with a pay-on-death designation, ownership passes at the owner's death to the designated pay-on-death beneficiaries and is not part of the owner's estate.1
On a multiple-party account with right of survivorship and a pay-on-death designation, ownership passes to the pay-on-death beneficiaries at the death of the last surviving party.1
- South Carolina
On a single-party account with a pay-on-death designation, ownership passes at the owner's death to the designated pay-on-death beneficiaries and is not part of the owner's estate.1
On a multiple-party account with right of survivorship and a pay-on-death designation, ownership passes to the pay-on-death beneficiaries at the death of the last surviving party.1
- Georgia
On a revocable trust or pay-on-death account, beneficiaries cannot withdraw until everyone who created the account has died. Two or more surviving beneficiaries own the account in equal shares, without right of survivorship.1
The people who created a revocable trust or pay-on-death account may change beneficiaries, change account types, and withdraw funds at any time.1
- Tennessee
On a revocable trust or pay-on-death account, beneficiaries cannot withdraw until everyone who created the account has died. Two or more surviving beneficiaries own the account in equal shares, without right of survivorship.1
The people who created a revocable trust or pay-on-death account may change beneficiaries, change account types, and withdraw funds at any time.1
Which accounts a trust can hold1
- Loan
Title to a mortgaged home can be transferred to a living trust if the borrower is the beneficiary and occupies the property.2
What Synovus says about trust accounts1
- Fees
Synovus charges $250 to approve and process a transfer of ownership of a mortgaged property to a trust.2
Accounts handled elsewhere2
- Synovus Trust Company, N.A.
Trust administration as designated trustee, estate planning and settlement, and investment management3, 4
Phone: 1-888-796-6887
- Synovus Private Wealth
Executor and personal representative services among its trust and estate services5
Not in Synovus's published guidance4
- What the owner provides to name a beneficiary
- A beneficiary designation form
- Which trust documents it accepts
- A procedure for holding an account in a trust, for deposit accounts
Sources5
- 1.Understanding Your Deposit Account, SNV-AIB-E 02/2022
- 2.Mortgage customer-info FAQ
- 3.Synovus trust services
- 4.Contact us
- 5.Synovus Private Wealth
Sources
Data sourced from Synovus primary sources (15 pages reviewed). How we research.
Download these Synovus instructions
Download instructions for the whole estateA printable PDF with the steps, required documents, and contact details — verified against Synovus primary sources. Bring it to the branch or keep it beside the phone.
Synovus estate support
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Toll-free
Synovus Trust
Synovus Financial Management (financial planning)
Mortgage Client Care
Mortgage Financial Hardship & Loss Mitigation
Synovus Securities
Health Savings Account
Report Lost or Stolen Card
Mailing address
Website
Estate requests go through general customer service.
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