Transfer on Death Agreement - Retail Accounts - Complete and Execute Form

Sep 16, 2026

Uploaded by Oliver

Transfer on Death (TOD) Agreement form for Merrill retail brokerage accounts, used to designate individuals or trusts to receive TOD assets at the account holder’s death without probate. The form restricts eligibility for certain account types (retirement, 529, tenants in common, trust/custodial/UTMA/UGMA, and LMA or securities lending-related accounts) and notes state availability limits. It explains required beneficiary information, percentage allocations totaling 100%, spousal notary consent rules, and submission/processing instructions, including options for electronic completion or fax/mail.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryForms

FormatPDF

Pages8

Reading Time3 min

AccessFree to download

Completing Transfer on Death Agreement

Account types not eligible for TOD

Key definitions and required reviews

Beneficiary and entity requirements

Spousal consent (Section E)

Transfer on Death Agreement (Retail Accounts) This form is used to designate individual(s) or trust(s) that you would like to receive assets in our Merrill brokerage account upon your death without going through probate. For example: CMA-Individual, Joint with Rights of Survivorship (JTWROS), Joint as Tenants by Entirety (JT/ATBE), Individual Investor Accounts (Delaware), and CMA Sub Accounts as specified on page 5 of this agreement. DO NOT PROCEED for the following account types: • For retirement accounts (IRA, IRRA, Roth, SEP, SIMPLE, & 403b) please fill out a Retirement Beneficiary form. • For 529 accounts, please fill out a “529 College Savings Plan Change of Beneficiary” form. • Tenants in Common (TIC) accounts, Joint Tenants—Community Property (JT/COMM), trust accounts, custodial accounts (UTMA/ UGMA), are not eligible for a Transfer on Death Agreement (TOD) . • For LMA accounts, or accounts that have the Securities Lending Program trait, please contact your advisor to determine eligibility • TOD service is not available to clients who reside in the state of Louisiana or Puerto Rico. Clients should consult with their attorney. Completing Transfer on Death Agreement Definitions, important terms and disclosures for this document start on page 5. Please review this information prior to executing this agreement. Failure to clearly print all required fields in this document may result in our inability to exercise your instructions. For minor Beneficiaries, name of UTMA Custodian or court-appointed Guardian or Conservator is required. For estates, trusts or other entities, please provide the exact name or title of the entity, address, and the date of inception, if available. Please do not submit copies of your will or trust document. If an estate or trust is designated, Merrill shall rely solely upon the instructions of the executor/administrator or trustee and shall have no responsibility for monitoring the terms of the will or trust. Only a trust currently in existence at the time a Transfer on Death (TOD) Agreement is executed can be named as a TOD Beneficiary. A testamentary trust cannot be named as a TOD Beneficiary because the TOD Agreement/Service provides for the non-probate transfer of assets. A testamentary trust comes into existence through the estate process. Section E. Spousal consent: If conditions I, II, and III are met, the notarized signature, name and address of spouse are required. • Spouse must execute his/her signature and date document in the presence of a notary. • All notaries must complete and notarize Section E on page 4. California licensed notaries should use the notary block designated for California notaries on page 4. • Notary information must be completely filled out, including signature and seal (if required) . Note: Affix seal if required by law or document will be returned. For faster service, this form can be completed electronically by signing into your account on [merrilledge.com](merrilledge.com). Alternatively, you can fax this completed form to 1.877.229.7160 or mail to: Merrill Document Processing PO Box 31024 Tampa, FL 33631-3024 (Please retain a copy of this form for your records.) Any questions? Contact us 24/7 at 877.653.4732 if you have any questions regarding this form. Investment products: | Are Not FDIC Insured | Are Not Bank Guaranteed | May Lose Value | | --- | --- | --- | 1 TFRONDTH-EDGE-0725 8-Digit Merrill Account Number (required): | Section A. Account Information
All Account Owners must complete this page and sign on the following pages. If selecting multiple accounts to add the same Transfer on Death (TOD) Agreement, both CMAs must have the same owners on each account. For example, Accounts 1 and 2 both have Owner A and Owner B. Both accounts having the same single owner would also be acceptable. A separate TOD Agreement is required for each account that has different joint owners. | | | --- | --- | | Account Owne

FAQs

Which account types are not eligible for a Transfer on Death Agreement (TOD)?

Retirement accounts, 529 accounts, Tenants in Common (TIC), JT/COMM, trust accounts, custodial accounts (UTMA/UGMA), and LMA accounts or accounts tied to the Securities Lending Program trait are not eligible. The form also restricts TOD availability for clients residing in Louisiana or Puerto Rico.

How should beneficiaries and ownership percentages be filled out in Section B?

Designate one or more primary beneficiaries and ensure the percentages total 100%. Contingent beneficiaries or per stirpes designations are not honored, and beneficiary shares should be expressed up to the hundredth decimal.

What are the requirements for spousal consent in Section E?

When the specified conditions I, II, and III are met, the spouse’s notarized signature, name, and address are required. The spouse must sign in the presence of a notary, and all notaries must complete and notarize Section E; California notaries must use the designated California notary block.

Sep 16, 2026

Uploaded by Oliver