How to name beneficiaries and fund a trust at Wintrust

Covers 10 deposit, 3 retirement, 2 investment, and 2 lending accounts — beneficiaries must be updated in-branch

Wintrust

Subsidiary of Wintrust Financial Corporation

wintrust.com
Wintrust logo
Mailing Address

231 South LaSalle Street, Chicago, IL 60604

Wintrust Private Trust Company, N.A.

Mailing Address

231 South LaSalle Street, 13th Floor, Chicago, IL 60604

Customer Service / Estate Claims

Mailing Address

Wintrust, P.O. Box 2027, Des Plaines, IL 60017

Wintrust Main Line
Wintrust Wealth / Trust Services
Wintrust Mortgage Residential Loan Servicing
Verified Jul 2026

Estate planning for your Wintrust 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.

Across 17 product types, Wintrust accounts vary in how they transfer at death. The sections below walk through Payable on Death (POD) designations, trust funding options, and which products support each method.

Total Access CheckingAccess Plus CheckingPremier CheckingPlatinum Preferred CheckingMoney Smart CheckingStatement SavingsMoney Market AccountMaxSafe Money MarketCertificate of Deposit (CD)MaxSafe CD
1
Visit a Wintrust community bank location with government-issued photo ID
  • Request a POD (Payable on Death) beneficiary designation form for deposit accounts
  • Bring each beneficiary's full legal name, home address, date of birth, and relationship
2
Complete the beneficiary designation form
  • Specify percentage allocations if naming multiple beneficiaries
  • Add contingent beneficiaries if desired
  • Sign the designation form
3
Submit the form and receive confirmation of beneficiary designation
  • Retain a copy of the signed form for your records
  • Verify designations are reflected on your account

Required Documents

  • Trust name, date established, and tax ID (EIN or SSN)

Special Requirements

  • POD beneficiary changes require in-branch visit or phone contact; not available online
  • Named beneficiaries override your will
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Sources

Data sourced from Wintrust primary sources (20 pages reviewed). How we research.

Download these Wintrust instructions

Download instructions for the whole estate

A printable PDF with the steps, required documents, and contact details — verified against Wintrust primary sources. Bring it to the branch or keep it beside the phone.

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