Change of Beneficiary Letter (Insurance Policy)

A Change of Beneficiary Letter allows life insurance policyholders to change their minds about who receives the insurance claim payouts after their death.

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There are numerous essential benefits to purchasing a life insurance policy. In case of death, the policy can provide for your family – help pay the mortgage or provide college funds for your children.

When you buy the policy, you name the primary, secondary, and final beneficiaries. These decisions are not set in stone, and during your life, you have the right to change the beneficiaries of your policy or rearrange their order.

This process is not complicated but requires policyholders to send a Change of Beneficiary Letter to their insurance company.

What Is a Change of Beneficiary Letter?

Whether the beneficiary of your policy is a person or an organization, it's your task to give the insurance company accurate information about them.

For many, the primary beneficiary is their spouse, but for others, it's their adult children or even their favorite charity. Writing a Change of Beneficiary Letter is incredibly important if you have a change of heart regarding who the beneficiary should be.

You shouldn't delay, as outdated insurance claims can cause many complications after your death. Your insurance company may already have the Change of Beneficiary Letter template on hand, but you can create your own as well.

Other Names for Change of Beneficiary

Depending on your state, you may also know a Change of Beneficiary Letter as:

  • Beneficiary Designation Form
  • Request to Change Policy Beneficiary
  • Change of Beneficiary Form
  • Beneficiary Change Request

Who Needs a Change of Beneficiary Letter?

Choosing a life insurance policy beneficiary is of monumental importance. But life events can change whom you want to receive claim payouts in case of your death.

Getting divorced, remarried, having children, and losing loved ones can force you to make these changes to your life insurance policy. If you're currently thinking about changing the beneficiary on your policy, make sure not to postpone it for too long.

Why Use 360 Legal Forms for Your Change of Beneficiary Letter?

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Create your own documents by answering our easy-to-understand questionnaires to get exactly what you need out of your Change of Beneficiary Letter.

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How to Create a Change of Beneficiary Letter With 360 Legal Forms

The Change of Beneficiary Letter should state clearly who the new beneficiary is. The format of the letter is not demanding but needs to contain crucial details. The process is faster and more efficient with a template.

Let 360 Legal Forms help with our extensive library of attorney-vetted legal forms. The process is fast and easy. All you have to do is fill out our easy-to-understand questionnaire. Once complete, simply download your form as a PDF or Word document from your secure online account.

What Information Will I Need to Create My Change of Beneficiary Letter?

To create your document, please provide:

  • Insurance Company Details: The name of the insurance policy, as well as the name of the insurance agent
  • Policyholder: The full name and contact information of the policyholder
  • Beneficiaries: The legal name of the beneficiaries and their contact information
  • The Effective Date: The exact date when the change in policy should go into effect

Change of Beneficiary Letter Terms

  • Policyholder: The person who bought the insurance policy and paid premiums for it
  • Beneficiary: The person or organization that will receive payments after the policyholder's death
  • Insurance Claim: A formal application for the insurance policy payment
  • Medicaid: The U.S. public health insurance program
  • Power of Attorney: An official authority to make decisions on another person's behalf

Change of Beneficiary Letter Signing Requirements

When drafting a Change of Beneficiary Letter, you can print and sign it before sending it to the insurance company.

Addressing it to the designated insurance agent and sending it via courier service is crucial. However, you can also send the Change of Beneficiary Letter via email, but you need to make sure to send it to the right person.

What to Do With Your Change of Beneficiary Letter?

After sending the Change of Beneficiary Letter to the insurance company, you should receive a confirmation of the changes you've requested.

If you have not heard anything after several weeks, make sure to follow up with a call, email, or an in-person meeting. The insurance company should assure you that they've taken action to change the beneficiary of your insurance policy.

Frequently Asked Questions

No, they cannot. You can't pay them directly, at least. Instead, you can make other arrangements. For example, creating a trust fund is an option.
You can assign a trustee and name your child as a beneficiary. Another option is to name the person who would be the guardian of your minor children as the beneficiary of the policy.

If the current beneficiary of your policy is a recipient of Supplemental Security Income or Medicaid, they may lose these benefits should they claim the insurance payout. The same applies if they seek these programs in the future.

The answer is no. Insurance companies take precautions to protect their clients. Your current or ex-spouse cannot change the beneficiary of the policy you pay for.
However, if you have given a power of attorney to another person, including a spouse, they may be able to change the beneficiary on your behalf.

The two types of insurance beneficiaries are revocable and irrevocable. The revocable beneficiary means that the policyholder has the right to change the beneficiary at any time without informing the current beneficiary.
The irrevocable beneficiary means that the policyholder can't change the beneficiary without their consent.

There are many reasons why insurance policies remain unclaimed after the policyholder's death. Some beneficiaries might not know how to make a claim, and others might not need to do so immediately.
The good news is that there isn't any time limit for requesting a policy payout from the insurance company. As long as the policy was active and paid for during the policyholder's life, it remains valid indefinitely.

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Applicable to all 50 states
Applicable to all 50 states

Our documents are vetted by lawyers and are applicable to all 50 states.