How to designate beneficiaries at TRS of Texas

TRS death benefits are paid to the beneficiary designated with TRS. TRS benefits, including death benefits, are not assignable.¹

Form TRS 15 cannot name a beneficiary for monthly benefits under an optional retirement payment plan (Option 1 to 5). Those use form TRS 30C (Options One, Two and Five) or TRS 30D (Options Three and Four).^{2, 3}

A trust may be named for certain TRS benefits. For a joint-and-survivor annuity (Options One, Two and Five), the beneficiary must be a person or an irrevocable trust with only one person as the beneficiary of the trust.¹

For a change to or from a trust after retirement, TRS requires an irrevocable, inter vivos trust that has only one beneficiary and terminates upon that beneficiary's death.¹

Naming a trust may affect whether the benefit can be rolled over to another eligible retirement plan, and TRS may require further documentation for a trust beneficiary.^{2, 3}

To leave benefits to the estate, the member writes "my estate" as the beneficiary. TRS pays an estate only if it is probated in some manner, and naming the estate may delay payment while the required documents are obtained from the court.^{2, 3}

Naming the estate may affect whether the benefit can be rolled over to another eligible retirement plan, and TRS may require further documentation for an estate beneficiary.^{2, 3}

Naming an organization or other legal entity may affect whether the benefit can be rolled over to another eligible retirement plan, and TRS may require further documentation for that beneficiary.^{2, 3}

TRS 15 has primary and alternate beneficiary blocks. Surviving joint beneficiaries share equally; TRS will not accept unequal portions, or stipulations or instructions written on the form for the payment or division of benefits.^{2, 3}

TRS 15 is signed with an original signature; TRS recommends ink in a color other than black. It is typed or printed in ink, corrections are initialed and nothing is attached.^{2, 3}

For pensions. Completed by the member or retiree. Available to download.^{2, 4}

Return to

For pensions. Completed by the retiree. Sent by the institution on request.¹

For pensions. Sent by the institution on request.¹

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

A beneficiary form is effective only if TRS receives it before the member's death. An employer is not authorized to receive the form in place of TRS.^{1, 2, 3}

The beneficiary of a joint-and-survivor annuity can be changed only once after the first annuity payment, only with the original beneficiary's consent (when that person was the spouse) or a court order, and only if the retiree has not outlived that beneficiary's remaining life expectancy.¹

TRS places no limit on the number of changes to the survivor-benefit beneficiary named on TRS 15.¹

If an Option One, Two or Five beneficiary dies before the retiree, the retiree's monthly payments increase to the standard annuity amount and a new beneficiary cannot be named for the continuing annuity.⁶

If a minor is designated, benefits are paid to the surviving parent or the court-appointed adult responsible for the minor, based on the laws of the minor's state of residence.¹

A divorce does not automatically revoke the designation of a former spouse.^{2, 3}