How to name beneficiaries and fund a trust at Vanguard
Beneficiaries are managed online or by mail. Trust paperwork is taken online or by mail
Estate planning for your Vanguard investment accounts starts with understanding how each one transfers at death. Beneficiary designations and trust retitling both bypass probate, but the right approach depends on the account type, your tax situation, and how much control you want over distributions.
With 10 product types, Vanguard offers a range of transfer options. Some investment accounts support Transfer on Death (TOD) designations, others can be retitled into a trust, and some require probate if no beneficiary is designated. The sections below break down each step.
Beneficiary form at Vanguard
Transfer on Death Plan Kit (Form FDBPT) (for investment accounts) and IRA Beneficiary Designation Kit (Form R350) (for IRAs).
Open the form →- The trust must be legally established before the application starts; Vanguard cannot open the account otherwise
- Log in to your Vanguard account and follow the instructions to open a trust account (new clients call 877-662-7447)
- Provide the trustees' personal information, the type of trust, the date of the trust, and the trust's tax identification number
- Attach the relevant pages of the trust document (usually the first and last): the trust name and date, the current trustees' names, and all signature pages
- Use the Change of Ownership to a New Trust Brokerage Account digital form (about 20 minutes; requires trust documents and personal information about current trustees)
- This form does not cover Cash Plus trust accounts; a trust opens a Cash Plus Account with the Vanguard Cash Plus Account Application for Trusts
- Complete the Vanguard Brokerage Account Application for Trusts (Form AACPT); all trustees sign
- To move assets from an existing Vanguard account, complete the Change of Ownership Between Vanguard Nonretirement Accounts form (Form NRCOO) included in the kit
- A notarized signature is required on Form NRCOO if the owners on the receiving account differ from the originating account; the notarization must be dated within 30 days of receipt by Vanguard
- Mail to: Vanguard, P.O. Box 982901, El Paso, TX 79998-2901
- Registered or certified mail, or overnight delivery: Vanguard, 5951 Luckett Court, Suite A1, El Paso, TX 79932-1882
Required Documents
- Relevant trust pages (for a trust under agreement). Pages showing the trust name and date, the current trustees' names and all signature pages, usually the first and last pages
- Certification of Trust (in place of the trust pages). Made in the application, executed and notarized by all trustees
- Pages of the will creating the trust (for a trust under a will). Pages showing the creation of the trust, the trustees' names and the testator's signature
- Evidence the will was filed with the probate court (for a trust under a will). A court stamp, letters testamentary, or a court document appointing the trustees
- Pages creating the sub-trust (for a sub-trust). The relevant pages with the provision creating the sub-trust and the trustees' names
- Documentation of why the original trustee is no longer acting (for successor trustees). A death certificate or letter of incapacitation
- Trust tax identification number
- Personal information for each trustee
- Type of trust and date of the trust (online)
- Log on to your account at vanguard.com
- From the My Accounts dropdown, select Profile & account settings
- Select Beneficiaries and follow the instructions
- Nonretirement accounts registered to an individual or held as joint tenants with rights of survivorship: Transfer on Death Plan Kit (Form FDBPT)
- IRAs: IRA Beneficiary Designation Kit (Form R350)
- All account owners sign the Transfer on Death Plan form
- Mail to: Vanguard, P.O. Box 982901, El Paso, TX 79998-2901
- Overnight delivery: Vanguard, 5951 Luckett Court, Suite A1, El Paso, TX 79932-1882
Required Documents
- Beneficiary's legal name. Beneficiary names must match their legal names; nicknames are not accepted
- Trust creation date (when a trust is named on a Transfer on Death Plan). Trust documentation is required at payout, not at designation
- Transfer on Death Plan form, signed by all account owners (by mail, for a nonretirement account)
- IRA Beneficiary Designation Form (by mail, for an IRA)
- The trust must be legally established before the application starts; Vanguard cannot open the account otherwise
- Log in to your Vanguard account and follow the instructions to open a trust account (new clients call 877-662-7447)
- Provide the trustees' personal information, the type of trust, the date of the trust, and the trust's tax identification number
- Attach the relevant pages of the trust document (usually the first and last): the trust name and date, the current trustees' names, and all signature pages
- Use the Change of Ownership to a New Trust Brokerage Account digital form (about 20 minutes; requires trust documents and personal information about current trustees)
- This form does not cover Cash Plus trust accounts; a trust opens a Cash Plus Account with the Vanguard Cash Plus Account Application for Trusts
- Complete the Vanguard Brokerage Account Application for Trusts (Form AACPT); all trustees sign
- To move assets from an existing Vanguard account, complete the Change of Ownership Between Vanguard Nonretirement Accounts form (Form NRCOO) included in the kit
- A notarized signature is required on Form NRCOO if the owners on the receiving account differ from the originating account; the notarization must be dated within 30 days of receipt by Vanguard
- Mail to: Vanguard, P.O. Box 982901, El Paso, TX 79998-2901
- Registered or certified mail, or overnight delivery: Vanguard, 5951 Luckett Court, Suite A1, El Paso, TX 79932-1882
Required Documents
- Relevant trust pages (for a trust under agreement). Pages showing the trust name and date, the current trustees' names and all signature pages, usually the first and last pages
- Certification of Trust (in place of the trust pages). Made in the application, executed and notarized by all trustees
- Pages of the will creating the trust (for a trust under a will). Pages showing the creation of the trust, the trustees' names and the testator's signature
- Evidence the will was filed with the probate court (for a trust under a will). A court stamp, letters testamentary, or a court document appointing the trustees
- Pages creating the sub-trust (for a sub-trust). The relevant pages with the provision creating the sub-trust and the trustees' names
- Documentation of why the original trustee is no longer acting (for successor trustees). A death certificate or letter of incapacitation
- Trust tax identification number
- Personal information for each trustee
- Type of trust and date of the trust (online)
- Log on to your account at vanguard.com
- From the My Accounts dropdown, select Profile & account settings
- Select Beneficiaries and follow the instructions
- Nonretirement accounts registered to an individual or held as joint tenants with rights of survivorship: Transfer on Death Plan Kit (Form FDBPT)
- IRAs: IRA Beneficiary Designation Kit (Form R350)
- All account owners sign the Transfer on Death Plan form
- Mail to: Vanguard, P.O. Box 982901, El Paso, TX 79998-2901
- Overnight delivery: Vanguard, 5951 Luckett Court, Suite A1, El Paso, TX 79932-1882
Required Documents
- Beneficiary's legal name. Beneficiary names must match their legal names; nicknames are not accepted
- Trust creation date (when a trust is named on a Transfer on Death Plan). Trust documentation is required at payout, not at designation
- Transfer on Death Plan form, signed by all account owners (by mail, for a nonretirement account)
- IRA Beneficiary Designation Form (by mail, for an IRA)
What Vanguard says about beneficiaries and trusts
Each section is Vanguard's own statement, with the document it comes from numbered under Sources.
Which accounts take a beneficiary6
- Investment account
A Transfer on Death Plan is available for nonretirement accounts registered to an individual or held as joint tenants with rights of survivorship.1
- IRA
The Transfer on Death Plan is not available for IRAs or other retirement accounts. By mail, IRA beneficiaries are named with the IRA Beneficiary Designation Kit (Form R350).1
- Community property account
The Transfer on Death Plan is not available for community property accounts.1
- Joint account without survivorship
The Transfer on Death Plan is not available for tenants in common accounts.1
- Custodial account (UTMA/UGMA)
The Transfer on Death Plan is not available for UGMA/UTMA accounts.1
- Trust account
The Transfer on Death Plan is not available for trust accounts.1
Who can be named4
- A person, IRAs
Anyone can be an IRA beneficiary, including non-family members.2
- A minor, IRAs
A minor child can be an IRA beneficiary.2
- A trust, investment accounts
A trust can be named on a Transfer on Death Plan if it already exists and is a trust under agreement.1
- A class of people, such as "my children", investment accounts
Group designations such as "my descendants" or "children, per stirpes" are not accepted on a Transfer on Death Plan.1
What a designation takes to be effective
- Investment account
All account owners sign the Transfer on Death Plan form.1
Beneficiary forms Vanguard issues2
- Transfer on Death Plan Kit (Form FDBPT)
For investment accounts. Completed by all account owners. Available to download.1
Return to
Mailing address: Vanguard, P.O. Box 982901, El Paso, TX 79998-2901
- IRA Beneficiary Designation Kit (Form R350)
For IRAs. Available to download.3
Return to
Mailing address: Vanguard, P.O. Box 982901, El Paso, TX 79998-2901
What Vanguard's agreement says about beneficiaries3
- A designation and a will
Beneficiary designations on an account overrule beneficiaries designated in a will.2
- Changing or revoking a designation
Submitting the IRA Beneficiary Designation Form replaces all previous designations for the IRAs selected on the form.3
- Joint accounts
Joint accounts pass to the surviving owner and do not need beneficiaries.2
Which accounts a trust can hold1
- Investment account
Assets in an existing Vanguard Brokerage Account move to a trust account with the Change of Ownership to a New Trust Brokerage Account form, digital or paper.5
The Change of Ownership to a New Trust Brokerage Account form does not cover Cash Plus trust accounts. A trust opens a Cash Plus Account with the Vanguard Cash Plus Account Application for Trusts.6
Trust account forms Vanguard issues3
- Change of Ownership to a New Trust Brokerage Account
For investment accounts. Available to download.5
- Change of Ownership Between Vanguard Nonretirement Accounts (Form NRCOO)
For investment accounts. Available to download.7
Return to
Mailing address: Vanguard, P.O. Box 982901, El Paso, TX 79998-2901
- Vanguard Cash Plus Account Application for Trusts
Available to download.6
What Vanguard says about trust accounts3
- Whether a new account is opened
The trust must be legally established before the application starts; Vanguard cannot open the account otherwise.8
- Who signs for the trust
All trustees sign the application. For a trust under agreement, if copies of the relevant trust pages are not provided, all trustee signatures on the application must be notarized.8
- Fees
Vanguard's trust account page lists a $3,000 minimum investment for most Vanguard mutual funds.8
Sources8
- 1.Transfer on Death Plan Kit (Form FDBPT)
- 2.Beneficiaries
- 3.IRA Beneficiary Designation Kit (Form R350)
- 4.Forms library entry S346A
- 5.Change of Ownership to a New Trust Brokerage Account
- 6.Vanguard Cash Plus Account Application for Trusts
- 7.Change of Ownership Between Vanguard Nonretirement Accounts (Form NRCOO)
- 8.Trust accounts
Sources
Data sourced from Vanguard primary sources (24 pages reviewed). How we research.
Download these Vanguard instructions
Download instructions for the whole estateA printable PDF with the steps, required documents, and contact details — verified against Vanguard primary sources. Bring it to the branch or keep it beside the phone.
Vanguard estate support
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Estate requests go through general customer service.
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