How to name beneficiaries and fund a trust at Voya
Covers 9 retirement, 1 deposit, and 9 insurance accounts — beneficiaries can be managed online
Voya Claims Center
Voya Life Claims, PO Box 1548, Minneapolis, MN 55440
Voya Claims Center -- Life, AD&D, Waiver of Premium
Voya Life Claims, PO Box 1548, Minneapolis, MN 55440
Estate planning for Voya retirement retirement accounts revolves around beneficiary designations. These designations—not a will—control who receives the account balance at death. For IRAs and employer-sponsored plans, the beneficiary designation also determines the tax treatment of inherited distributions, making it a decision with both legal and financial implications.
Voya has 19 product types, and the estate transfer rules differ across them. Some support beneficiary designations on tax-advantaged accounts, some can be retitled into a trust, and others will require probate if nothing is set up. Each is covered below.
- Log in to your account at my.voya.com
- Select "Go to My Account"
- Under Personal Information, go to Beneficiary Information
- Select Add/Edit Beneficiary and confirm marital status
- Add primary and contingent beneficiaries with percentage allocations totaling 100%
- If married, your spouse must be designated as primary beneficiary to complete online; to name a non-spouse, download the paper form instead
- Review and submit your designation
Required Documents
- Trust name, date established, and tax ID (EIN or SSN)
Special Requirements
- Spousal consent required for ERISA-covered plans (401(k), 403(b)) if naming a non-spouse as primary beneficiary
- If married, online designation requires spouse as primary beneficiary; use paper form to designate a non-spouse
- Trusts require completion of the Voya Trust Certification form (213694)
- Trust must be irrevocable, or become irrevocable upon the participant's death
- All trust beneficiaries must be individuals identifiable from the terms of the trust
- Trust TIN (Tax Identification Number) required when naming a trust as beneficiary
- If no beneficiary is designated, surviving spouse is default; if no spouse, estate is default
Sources
Data sourced from Voya primary sources (15 pages reviewed). How we research.
Download these Voya instructions
Download instructions for the whole estateA printable PDF with the steps, required documents, and contact details — verified against Voya primary sources. Bring it to the branch or keep it beside the phone.
Voya Claims Center
Voya Life Claims, PO Box 1548, Minneapolis, MN 55440
Voya Claims Center -- Life, AD&D, Waiver of Premium
Voya Life Claims, PO Box 1548, Minneapolis, MN 55440
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