Estate planning at Whitefish CU
How to protect 6 Whitefish CU accounts — manage beneficiaries in-branch, fund a trust in-branch, and file claims through Whitefish CU's Member Services
Member Services
Phone(406) 862-3525
Toll-Free(877) 862-3525
Mailing Address
PO Box 37, Whitefish, MT 59937
WebsiteLearn more →
Phone(406) 862-3525
Toll-Free(877) 862-3525
Mailing Address
Whitefish Credit Union, PO Box 37, Whitefish, MT 59937
Verified Mar 2026
Whitefish CU is a credit union offering 6 accounts that interact with estate planning in different ways. As a membership-based credit union, Whitefish CU membership open to individuals, trusts, organizations, partnerships, and corporations who live, work, operate, own property, worship, participate in an association, or attend school within 50 air miles of Whitefish, MT, or within the following 25 Montana counties: Beaverhead, Big Horn, Broadwater, Carbon, Cascade, Deer Lodge, Flathead, Gallatin, Granite, Jefferson, Lake, Lewis and Clark, Lincoln, Madison, Meagher, Mineral, Missoula, Park, Powell, Ravalli, Sanders, Silver Bow, Stillwater, Sweet Grass, and Yellowstone. Field of membership expanded July 2025 to include 16 additional counties covering the greater Billings, Butte, and Great Falls areas. Eight branches: Whitefish, Kalispell (2), Polson, Columbia Falls, Thompson Falls, Eureka, and Missoula (opened October 2025). Understanding how each account transfers at death—and which ones a trust can hold—helps families avoid probate delays and unintended outcomes.
Whitefish CU handles beneficiary designations in branch, by mail, and by phone. Accounts can also be retitled into a trust to keep them out of probate entirely.
Whitefish CU provides specific procedures for both proactive estate planning and filing claims after a death.
Preparing your estate
Beneficiaries and trust funding
How to update beneficiaries in-branch, fund a trust in-branch, and review 6 account types at Whitefish CU.
View details →When someone dies
Death claim process
Contact Whitefish CU's Member Services to file a claim. 9-step process, 5 required documents, and contact information for survivors.
View details →For questions about any of these procedures, contact Whitefish CU's Member Services at (877) 862-3525.
Whitefish CU operates in select states, so estate planning procedures may vary by location. Confirm availability in your state before initiating trust funding or account changes.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. A trust can be named as a POD beneficiary on deposit accounts. You will need the full legal name of the trust and its tax identification number. Alternatively, you can retitle accounts directly into the name of the trust by providing trust documentation at a branch. Whitefish CU accepts Revocable Trust, Irrevocable Trust, Estate, Conservator, Montana Medical, and Representative Payee account types.
Whitefish CU offers accounts for Revocable Trust, Irrevocable Trust, Estate, Conservator, Montana Medical, and Representative Payee. Accounts are opened and maintained by named trustee(s) under a written trust agreement. The credit union does not act as trustee. Trust accounts are available for savings, checking, and certificate account types.
Visit any branch with trust document pages showing the trust name, establishing signatures, and trustee designations, along with the trust's SSN or EIN and government-issued ID for each trustee. Accounts will be titled in the name of the trust. The credit union does not act as trustee.
IRA beneficiary designations use a separate form from POD designations on deposit accounts. Contact Whitefish CU at (406) 862-3525 or (877) 862-3525, or visit any branch to complete an IRA beneficiary designation form. A trust can be named as the IRA beneficiary, but IRAs cannot be retitled into a trust. Contribution limits for 2025 are $7,000 ($8,000 if age 50+).
Membership is open to individuals, trusts, organizations, partnerships, and corporations who live, work, operate, own property, worship, participate in an association, or attend school within 50 air miles of Whitefish, MT, or within 25 designated Montana counties: Beaverhead, Big Horn, Broadwater, Carbon, Cascade, Deer Lodge, Flathead, Gallatin, Granite, Jefferson, Lake, Lewis and Clark, Lincoln, Madison, Meagher, Mineral, Missoula, Park, Powell, Ravalli, Sanders, Silver Bow, Stillwater, Sweet Grass, and Yellowstone. A $5 minimum deposit in a Savings Account establishes membership.
Member Services
Phone(406) 862-3525
Toll-Free(877) 862-3525
Mailing Address
PO Box 37, Whitefish, MT 59937
WebsiteLearn more →
Phone(406) 862-3525
Toll-Free(877) 862-3525
Mailing Address
Whitefish Credit Union, PO Box 37, Whitefish, MT 59937
Verified Mar 2026
Estate planning resources for Whitefish CU customers
Tools and documents to help protect your Whitefish CU accounts.
Do I Need a Revocable Trust?
Answer questions about your estate size, real estate, family situation, and privacy preferences to see how a revocable trust compares to a will alone.
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Are My Beneficiary Designations Protected?
See how your state handles beneficiary designations after divorce, inherited IRA creditor protection, and spousal consent requirements for retirement accounts.
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What Does Estate Planning Actually Cost?
See the true cost of estate planning. Compare SimplyTrust, Trust & Will, LegalZoom, and attorneys including life events like marriage, divorce, and having children.
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