How do I add beneficiaries to my account?
You can change or modify beneficiaries online at any time and as often as you would like. To view, add, remove, or edit beneficiaries, log in to your Savings account. Select the "Account Services" tab, click "Manage Banking Beneficiaries", “Add Beneficiary” or “Add New Beneficiary” (if you previously added beneficiaries), then select the account you would like to update.
Below is some helpful information about adding beneficiaries to your account:
- If you have multiple accounts and wish to designate beneficiaries to any of your accounts, each beneficiary will need to be added individually to each account.
- Beneficiaries do not need to be the same on each of your accounts.
- Beneficiaries must be natural persons. Trusts, businesses, charities and pets are not permitted.
- Please provide the beneficiary’s full name, date of birth, Social Security number and physical address, which are required in order to add them to your account.
Once we receive all the appropriate paperwork confirming the account owner’s death (or the death of the last surviving joint account owner, if applicable), the balance of the account will be distributed equally among the living beneficiaries listed at that time. You are not able to specify different proportions to be distributed to each beneficiary.
It’s important to let you know that adding beneficiaries will designate your account as a Payable on Death (POD) account. Certain state law restrictions apply to POD accounts. Please consult an attorney or a qualified estate planning professional before designating your account as a POD account.
Please see our POD accounts page for more information.
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Accounts offered by American
Express National Bank. Member FDIC. Each depositor is insured to at least $250,000 per depositor, per insured bank, per ownership category.
* The Annual Percentage Yield (APY) as advertised is accurate as of . Interest rate and APY are subject to change at any time without notice before and after a High Yield Savings Account is opened. Interest Rate and APY of a Certificate of Deposit account is fixed once the account is funded. [There is no minimum balance required to open your Account, to avoid being charged a fee, or to obtain the Annual Percentage Yield (APY) disclosed to you]
** The national rate referenced is from the FDIC's published Monthly Rate Cap Information for Savings deposit products. Visit the FDIC website for details.
1 There is no minimum balance required to open your Account, to avoid being charged a fee, or obtain the Annual Percentage Yield (APY) disclosed to you.
2 The interest rate and Annual Percentage Yield (APY) will be disclosed in your account-opening documents, which you will receive after funding your Account. The interest rate and APY for your CD will be fixed and will either be (i) the rate reflected at application submission or (ii) the rate being offered when your CD is funded, whichever is higher. All CDs must be funded within 60 calendar days from the time we approve your application or will be subject to closure. After the CD is opened, additional deposits are not permitted. Early CD withdrawals may be subject to significant penalties which could cause you to lose some of your principal. Please see the Consumer Deposit Account Agreement and Savings Schedules for additional information.
3 For purposes of transferring funds to or from an external bank, business days are Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. Transfers can be initiated 24/7 via the website or phone, but any transfers initiated after 7:00 PM Eastern Time or on non-business days will begin processing on the next business day. Funds deposited into your account may be subject to holds. See the Funds Availability section of your Consumer Deposit Account Agreement and Savings Schedules for more information.
4 Calculations are estimates of expected interest earned. Actual results may vary, based on various factors such as leap years, timing of deposits, rounding, and variation in interest rates. The first recurring deposit is assumed to begin in the second period after any initial deposit.
5 IRA Contributions are subject to aggregate annual limits across all IRA plans held at American Express or other institutions. IRA distributions may be taxed and subject to penalties based on IRS guidelines. Required minimum distribution, if applicable, is only relevant to this IRA plan and does not take into consideration other IRA plans held at American Express or other institutions. Please see IRS.gov for more information. We recommend you consult with a financial or tax advisor when making contributions to and distributions from an IRA plan account.