Estate planning options at Wintrust
Estate planning for your Wintrust accounts starts with understanding how each one transfers at death. Beneficiary designations bypass probate, but the right approach depends on the account type, your tax situation, and how much control you want over distributions.
Wintrust offers 17 accounts, each with its own transfer rules. The sections below cover how to set up beneficiaries, fund a trust, and which products support each approach.
- Wintrust's account application offers single-party and multiple-party deposit accounts with or without a P.O.D. (payable on death) designation
- Beneficiaries are added as primary or contingent, and each may be a person or an entity
- Share percentages must total 100% across the primary beneficiaries and across the contingent beneficiaries
- Customer Service hours: Monday-Friday 7 a.m.-8 p.m. and Saturday 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Central
Beneficiary designation is not available for investment accounts at Wintrust.
- Wintrust's account application offers single-party and multiple-party deposit accounts with or without a P.O.D. (payable on death) designation
- Beneficiaries are added as primary or contingent, and each may be a person or an entity
- Share percentages must total 100% across the primary beneficiaries and across the contingent beneficiaries
- Customer Service hours: Monday-Friday 7 a.m.-8 p.m. and Saturday 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Central
What Wintrust says about beneficiaries and trusts
Each section is Wintrust's own statement, with the document it comes from numbered under Sources.
Which accounts take a beneficiary1
- Payable-on-death account
Wintrust's account application offers single-party and multiple-party deposit accounts with or without a P.O.D. (payable on death) designation.1
Who can be named2
How many beneficiaries, and how shares are split
- All accounts
Beneficiaries are named as primary or contingent. Multiple primary beneficiaries split the assets evenly unless the designation states otherwise, and share percentages must total 100% across the primary and across the contingent beneficiaries.2
What Wintrust's agreement says about beneficiaries2
- A designation and a will
The account type selected may determine how the account passes at death; a will may not control funds held in a P.O.D. or survivorship account.2
On the death of the owner of a single-party P.O.D. account, ownership passes to the P.O.D. beneficiaries and the account is not part of the owner's estate.1
- A beneficiary who dies first
Contingent beneficiaries receive the assets if all primary beneficiaries have passed or are unable to be located.2
What Wintrust says about trust accounts1
- Who signs for the trust
Trustees and grantors are added as parties to the trust account.3
Accounts handled elsewhere1
- Wintrust Private Trust Company, N.A.
Trust services for the Wintrust community banks, including trustee services, estate settlement and special needs trusts4
Phone: 1-877-243-4048
Not in Wintrust's published guidance3
- What the owner provides to name a beneficiary
- A POD procedure for existing accounts
- A retitling procedure for existing accounts
Sources
Data sourced from Wintrust primary sources (20 pages reviewed). How we research.
Download these Wintrust instructions
Download instructions for the whole estateA 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.
Wintrust estate support
Wintrust Private Trust Company, N.A. (Wintrust Wealth Management)
Phone
Mailing address
Website
Estate planning articles
Learn how to protect your Wintrust accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
Is this your situation?
Get a complete guide for your specific circumstances.
New Baby or Adoption
Your family is growing. Your protection should too. Guardian nominations, trusts for minors, beneficiary updates, and the documents new parents need in place.
Learn more
Marriage
What married couples need in place: one joint trust or two, wills, beneficiary updates, and the spousal rights your state grants you automatically.
Learn more
New Home
How to put your house in a revocable trust: the deed you record, what it does to your mortgage and property taxes, and when a TOD deed is simpler.
Learn more
Retirement
Retirement changes your financial picture. Healthcare directives, beneficiary reviews, long-term care planning, and protecting what you've built.
Learn moreForms for Planning Your Estate
Free forms for planning your estate: a will, living trust, pour-over will, both powers of attorney, living will, and TOD deed.
Revocable Living Trust
Create a revocable living trust to avoid probate, protect privacy, and control asset distribution.
Last Will and Testament
Name your heirs, guardians, and final wishes. Free for every state.
Transfer on Death Deed
Transfer real property to a beneficiary upon your death without probate. Available in 34 states and the District of Columbia.
Tools for Planning Your Estate
Free tools for planning your estate: what a will or trust costs, whether you need a trust or TOD deed, and how documents are signed.
How Much Does a Revocable Living Trust Cost?
Compare revocable living trust costs across providers including online services and attorneys.
How Does SimplyTrust Compare to LegalZoom, Trust & Will, and Other Services?
Compare what it costs to make a trust official across SimplyTrust, LegalZoom, Trust & Will, Rocket Lawyer, and Quicken WillMaker.
Do I Need a Revocable Trust?
Find out if a revocable trust makes sense based on your state, estate value, and family situation.
Trust or Will: Which Costs Less?
Compare the cost of probate vs a trust for your state and estate value.
What Does Estate Planning Actually Cost?
Compare costs across estate planning providers including online services and attorneys.
How Much Life Insurance Do I Need?
Calculate your life insurance needs based on income, debts, and family situation.
