Beneficiary changes
It’s important to keep your beneficiary designations up to date because named beneficiaries on insurance policies and retirement plans usually supersede instructions in wills. By periodically reviewing your beneficiary designations for your UW benefit plans, personal insurance plans, and other financial accounts, you can rest assured that your assets will be distributed according to your wishes.
Change a beneficiary
Generally, you can review and update your beneficiary designations by contacting the company or organization that provides your insurance or retirement plan. You can sometimes do this online. Otherwise, you’ll have to complete, sign, and mail a paper form.
Life insurance
Complete your beneficiary change directly with MetLife on their website. If you have any questions regarding making a beneficiary change or if you prefer to complete a paper beneficiary change, please contact MetLife at 1-866-548-7139. You will need to identify yourself as a Washington PEBB subscriber when you call MetLife. This will ensure that you are transferred to the PEBB specialists at MetLife.
UW retirement plans
For the UW Retirement Plan (UWRP) and the Voluntary Investment Program (VIP), change your beneficiary information online by logging into your account with UW Fidelity Investments. (If you have annuities, log into your TIAA account.)
State retirement plans
For state Department of Retirement Systems (DRS) retirement plans, such as PERS, TRS, LEOFF, and the Washington State Deferred Compensation Program (WSDCP), update your beneficiary designation by:
- Completing the Retirement – DRS Beneficiary Designation(PDF) form OR
- Login to the DRS webpage and update your beneficiaries online
Make sure to keep a copy of the form for your records.
Health savings account
For your health savings account (HSA), change your beneficiary information online by logging into yourHealthEquity account.
What is a beneficiary?
A beneficiary is a person or legal entity that is entitled to receive the proceeds from an estate, trust, retirement account, life insurance policy, or transfer on death accounts. A beneficiary can be one or more individuals or organizations, such as a trust or charity. You can designate two types of beneficiaries:
- Primary beneficiaries are first in line to receive the designated asset upon your death
- Secondary (or contingent) beneficiaries receive the asset if there are no surviving primary beneficiaries upon your death
When to review a beneficiary
Review and consider updating your beneficiaries when you:
- Experience a major life event such as a birth, marriage, dissolution of marriage or domestic partnership, or death in the family
- Update your will or estate plan
- Rollover a 401(k) or Individual Retirement Account (IRA)
- Receive a beneficiary verification notice
Keep copies of your beneficiary designation forms. If you do not have copies of your current beneficiary designations, request copies from your account providers or complete a new beneficiary designation form.
Seeking legal advice
Since the beneficiary designations you make can override your will, we recommend you consult with a legal advisor or an estate planning professional before you make changes.
When you designate a beneficiary, seek legal and tax advice if:
- You wish to name someone other than your spouse or partner as a beneficiary
- You have special estate planning needs
- You want to assign ownership of your life insurance to another person
- Your beneficiary is a minor who needs legal protection
When you create a will, consult with a legal advisor to make sure that you understand whether the beneficiary designations you make on insurance plans or financial accounts are affected by your will.
You can schedule a free, confidential 30-minute phone consultation with an attorney through WA EAP.
