Estate planning at Unitus CCU
How to protect 15 Unitus CCU accounts — manage beneficiaries in-branch, fund a trust in-branch, and file death claims
Contact Center
Unitus Community Credit Union, P.O. Box 1937, Portland, OR 97207
Contact Center
Unitus Community Credit Union, P.O. Box 1937, Portland, OR 97207
Member Services (deceased member accounts)
Unitus Community Credit Union, P.O. Box 1937, Portland, OR 97207
Unitus CCU is a credit union offering 15 accounts that interact with estate planning in different ways. As a membership-based credit union, Unitus CCU operates 14 locations including branches in Portland (Cascade Station, Multnomah Village, North Williams, Westmoreland), Beaverton, Tigard (Bridgeport Village and Business Center), Happy Valley, Gresham, Hillsboro (Tanasbourne), Salem, Woodburn, and Vancouver, WA (Mill Plain), plus a Virtual Branch for remote personal assistance. Membership is open to anyone who lives, works, worships, or attends school in 15 Oregon counties or anywhere in the state of Washington. Headquartered in Portland, OR. Understanding how each account transfers at death—and which ones a trust can hold—helps families avoid probate delays and unintended outcomes.
Unitus CCU lets account holders update beneficiary designations in branch, by mail, and by phone, typically taking 15-30 minutes in branch; longer by mail. Trust funding is also available, allowing families to retitle accounts into the name of a revocable living trust.
Unitus CCU has documented procedures for both preparing accounts during your lifetime and handling claims when an account holder passes away.
Preparing your estate
Beneficiaries and trust funding
How to update beneficiaries in-branch, fund a trust in-branch, and review 15 account types at Unitus CCU.
View details →When someone dies
Death claim process
9-step process, 7 required documents, and contact information for survivors.
View details →Unitus CCU is not available nationwide. Estate planning procedures may vary by state, so confirm that your location is served before making account changes.
Frequently asked questions
No. Section 29 of the Unitus Membership & Account Agreement (effective October 1, 2025) states that Washington residents irrevocably waive the right to dispose by will of any of their accounts with the credit union, now and in the future. A Washington member's Unitus accounts are therefore directed by the POD beneficiary designation or joint ownership on file, not by a bequest in the will. If you are a Washington member, check the POD designation on every Unitus account and keep it aligned with your estate plan, or hold the account in the name of your trust so the trust terms control it.
No. Section 10 of the Membership & Account Agreement states that a POD account payable to more than one surviving beneficiary is paid to each surviving beneficiary in equal shares. Unitus does not honor unequal percentage allocations on a POD designation, and POD designations do not apply at all to IRAs (which use their own beneficiary form) or to an account held by or on behalf of a formal trust. If the shares must be unequal, or if a beneficiary is a minor, retitle the account into your trust and let the trust terms do the dividing.
Sources
Data sourced from Unitus CCU primary sources (13 pages reviewed). How we research.
Contact Center
Unitus Community Credit Union, P.O. Box 1937, Portland, OR 97207
Contact Center
Unitus Community Credit Union, P.O. Box 1937, Portland, OR 97207
Member Services (deceased member accounts)
Unitus Community Credit Union, P.O. Box 1937, Portland, OR 97207
Estate planning articles
Learn how to protect your Unitus CCU accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
