How to name beneficiaries and fund a trust at Thrivent
Covers 7 insurance, and 1 investment accounts — beneficiaries can be managed online
Client Care Center
Thrivent Operations Center, 4321 N. Ballard Rd., Appleton, WI 54919-0001 (corporate center: 600 Portland Avenue S., Suite 100, Minneapolis, MN 55415-4402)
Thrivent Trust Company (personal trust and estate settlement services)
Beneficiary Claims
Thrivent, PO Box 8075, Appleton, WI 54912-8075 (claims correspondence alternate: Thrivent, Attn: Claims, 4321 N. Ballard Rd., Appleton, WI 54919). Thrivent Funds death claims: Thrivent Funds, PO Box 219348, Kansas City, MO 64121-9348 (fax 866-278-8363)
Beneficiary designations are the foundation of estate planning for Thrivent policies. Unlike bank accounts, insurance products cannot be retitled into a trust. Instead, the beneficiary designation itself determines who receives the proceeds and how quickly they're paid. Naming a trust as beneficiary is an option when more control over distributions is needed.
The transfer rules at Thrivent vary across 8 policies. Below is a breakdown of beneficiary options, trust funding, and which products support each method.
- Log in to your account at https://servicing.apps.thrivent.com/
- Select the contract you want to view or change
- Scroll down to view the current beneficiary designation
- Select "Update beneficiaries" and follow the prompts
- Provide each beneficiary's full legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, and relationship
- For trusts: provide the trust name and date the trust was established
- Specify percentage allocations for primary and contingent beneficiaries
- Review and confirm your designations
- Note: Mutual fund beneficiary changes require the Mutual Funds Beneficiary Designation Form (MF307); brokerage account changes require contacting your advisor
Required Documents
- Trust name, date established, and tax ID (EIN or SSN)
Special Requirements
- Online beneficiary changes are available for insurance and annuity contracts but not for Thrivent Funds mutual fund or brokerage accounts
- Thrivent Funds mutual fund beneficiary and TOD changes require Form MF307, mailed or faxed to the Kansas City service center (not Appleton)
- Thrivent Funds TOD registration is administered under the Minnesota Uniform Transfer on Death Security Registration Act (Minn. Stat. 524.6-301 to 524.6-311) regardless of the shareholder's state of residence
- Thrivent Funds TOD is NOT available on accounts registered as trusts, corporations, estates, tenants in common, custodial accounts, or community property without rights of survivorship -- a trust-owned fund account passes under the trust, not by TOD
- Naming a TOD beneficiary on a joint or community property Thrivent Funds account elects a right of survivorship for all owners; no transfer occurs until the last owner dies
- Brokerage account beneficiary changes require contacting your Thrivent financial advisor at 800-847-4836
- Primary and contingent beneficiary percentages must each total 100%
- The 307B lets you scope the designation to specific coverages and riders; leaving the coverage boxes blank applies it to every coverage and rider on the listed contracts
- If a trust owns a contract but the designated beneficiary is not the trust, legal and tax issues may arise
- Irrevocable beneficiary designations require the beneficiary's consent to change
- Thrivent Bank deposit accounts (Thrivent Money, Checking, Savings) are held at a separate FDIC-insured bank and are not covered by these forms -- see thriventbank.com or call 833-347-1600
Sources
Data sourced from Thrivent primary sources (22 pages reviewed). How we research.
Download these Thrivent instructions
Download instructions for the whole estateA printable PDF with the steps, required documents, and contact details — verified against Thrivent primary sources. Bring it to the branch or keep it beside the phone.
Client Care Center
Thrivent Operations Center, 4321 N. Ballard Rd., Appleton, WI 54919-0001 (corporate center: 600 Portland Avenue S., Suite 100, Minneapolis, MN 55415-4402)
Thrivent Trust Company (personal trust and estate settlement services)
Beneficiary Claims
Thrivent, PO Box 8075, Appleton, WI 54912-8075 (claims correspondence alternate: Thrivent, Attn: Claims, 4321 N. Ballard Rd., Appleton, WI 54919). Thrivent Funds death claims: Thrivent Funds, PO Box 219348, Kansas City, MO 64121-9348 (fax 866-278-8363)
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