How to designate beneficiaries at Wells Fargo
Beneficiaries are managed in branch
There are two ways to keep your Wells Fargo accounts out of probate: adding beneficiary designations and retitling eligible accounts into a revocable living trust. Which approach works best depends on the account type and your overall estate plan.
Wells Fargo has 22 accounts with different estate transfer rules. Here is how beneficiary designations, trust ownership, and probate apply to each one.
What Wells Fargo says about beneficiaries and trusts
Each section is Wells Fargo's own statement, with the document it comes from numbered under Sources.
Which accounts take a beneficiary1
- Payable-on-death account
Wells Fargo's Deposit Account Agreement treats a deposit account titled "in trust for (ITF)," "transfer on death (TOD)," or similar language as a POD account.1
A POD account is payable to the beneficiaries named when Wells Fargo receives proof of the owner's death or the death of the last surviving co-owner.1
What Wells Fargo's agreement says about beneficiaries1
- Changing or revoking a designation
Wells Fargo's Deposit Account Agreement lets you and any co-owner change beneficiaries anytime by notifying Wells Fargo in writing.1
Which accounts a trust can hold1
- Trust account
Wells Fargo's Premier Checking terms name a trustee as an owner category.2
What Wells Fargo says about trust accounts1
- Certificates moved into a trust
Wells Fargo's Deposit Account Agreement waives the CD early withdrawal penalty on the death of the grantor of a revocable family/living trust.1
Accounts handled elsewhere3
- Wells Fargo Advisors
Transfer on death registration and trust accounts for WellsTrade, Wells Fargo Advisors and Intuitive Investor accounts3, 4, 5
Phone: 1-800-872-3377
Fax: 1-844-879-1439
Mailing address: Wells Fargo Advisors, MAC N9160-01P, PO Box 77046, Minneapolis, MN 55480-9902
- Wells Fargo Private Bank
Wells Fargo Private Bank accounts6
Phone: 1-877-646-8560
- Private Wealth trust services
Private Wealth trust services7
Phone: 1-888-715-0380
Not in Wells Fargo's published guidance4
- A beneficiary designation form, for deposit accounts
- A procedure for holding an account in a trust, for deposit accounts
- Which trust documents it accepts
- What the owner provides to name a beneficiary
Sources7
- 1.Deposit Account Agreement, July 28, 2026
- 2.Premier Checking
- 3.Transfer on Death Kit, Rev 19 - 07/26
- 4.WellsTrade Forms
- 5.Trustee Certification of Investment Powers, Rev 19 - 06/24
- 6.Contact Wells Fargo
- 7.Trust and estate services
Sources
Data sourced from Wells Fargo primary sources (29 pages reviewed). How we research.
Download these Wells Fargo instructions
Download instructions for the whole estateA printable PDF with the steps, required documents, and contact details — verified against Wells Fargo primary sources. Bring it to the branch or keep it beside the phone.
Wells Fargo estate support
Estate Care Center
Phone
WellsTrade
Wells Fargo Advisors
Wells Fargo Private Bank
Fax
Mailing address
Website
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