Understand what to do in the event of an account holder's death

If an account holder, custodian, or trustee of an E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley brokerage account dies, you will need to change the registration on the account.

To report the death of an account holder, please contact our Beneficiary Services Team at 888.402.0653, or Internationally at 678.624.6013. One of our representatives can walk you through the process.

Depending on your circumstances, you may be required to consult an attorney or local government where you reside to provide the necessary documentation to change the registration of the account.

Change ownership when the sole owner of an individual account dies
Remove a decedent's name from a joint tenancy with rights of survivorship account
Change ownership if the account is a community property or tenancy-in-common account
Change the ownership on a custodial account if the minor dies
Change the custodian on a custodial account if the custodian dies
Change the ownership on a trust account if a trustee dies
Know what is required of an IRA account beneficiary
Update a registration due to death if a transfer on death form is on record
Frequently Asked Questions

Change ownership when the sole owner of an individual account dies

When the sole owner of an account dies, ownership (control) of all funds and securities held in an individual account at E*TRADE will transfer to the executor, administrator, or heir as determined by the courts. If the account meets appropriate state requirements for a small estate, ownership can be transferred to the closest heir. Be sure to contact your attorney for detailed information related to your specific situation.

To update the ownership of an individual account when the sole account holder dies, please send us the following documents:

E*TRADE Beneficiary Services Cover Sheet
A brokerage investing account or an estate account application
A certified copy of the death certificate (photocopies not accepted)
A certified copy of the estate paperwork naming the deceased's executor, administrator, or heir (i.e. Letters Testamentary, Letter of Appointment, Letters of Administration, or other legal documentation, or a notarized Small Estate Affidavit)
A written letter of instruction detailing your request signed by all parties

Please mail everything to us and we will handle things from there:

By regular U.S. mail
E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley
PO Box 484
Jersey City, NJ 07303-0484

By overnight mail
E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley
Harborside Financial Center
501 Plaza 2
34 Exchange Place
Jersey City, NJ 07311
800-387-2331

Notes:

In some instances where physical stock certificates were mailed into the decedent's account and were not properly assigned to E*TRADE, additional documentation (Stock Power) will be required. For assistance, please contact Customer Service or download the form from the Forms and Application Page
A Small Estate Affidavit is applicable only if the account meets the appropriate state requirements for a small estate, and if the account will not pass through probate.
When completing the brokerage account application, write "Registration Change" and the account number at the top of the application. Have all account holders complete the account application.
If you're changing the account's registration to an estate account, in Section 1 of the application, enter the Taxpayer ID number of the estate (EIN). For assistance with establishing a new EIN for an Estate, please visit www.irs.gov.

Remove a decedent's name from a joint tenancy with rights of survivorship account

Ownership of all funds and securities held in a joint tenancy with rights of survivorship account at E*TRADE resides with the surviving tenant.

To update the registration on the account, please send us the following documents:

E*TRADE Financial Beneficiary Services Cover Sheet
A brokerage (personal or trust) account application
A certified copy of the death certificate (photocopies not accepted)
A written letter of instruction detailing your request signed by all parties

Please mail everything to us and we will handle things from there:

Note:

In some instances where physical stock certificates were mailed into the decedent's account and were not properly assigned to E*TRADE, additional documentation will be required. For assistance, please contact Customer Service.

Change ownership if the account is a community property or tenancy-in-common account

For community property and tenancy-in-common accounts at E*TRADE, the deceased account holder's assets are passed to his/her estate, and not automatically to the surviving tenant.

The surviving tenant and the executor(s) of the deceased will need to send us certain applications and documents, as indicated below.

Surviving Tenant:

E*TRADE Financial Beneficiary Services Cover Sheet
A brokerage (personal or trust) account application
A written letter of instruction detailing your request signed by all parties
A certified copy of the death certificate (photocopies not accepted)

Executor(s):

E*TRADE Financial Beneficiary Services Cover Sheet
A brokerage (personal or trust) account application
A certified copy of the death certificate (photocopies not accepted)
A certified copy of estate paperwork naming the executor, administrator, or heir (i.e. Letters Testamentary, Letter of Appointment, Letters of Administration, other legal documentation, or notarized Small Estate Affidavit)
A written letter of instruction detailing your request signed by all parties

Please mail everything to us and we will handle things from there:

Notes:

In some instances where physical stock certificates were mailed into the decedent's account and were not properly assigned to E*TRADE, additional documentation will be required. For assistance, please contact Customer Service.
A Small Estate Affidavit is applicable only if the account meets the appropriate state requirements for a small estate, and if the account will not pass through probate.
When completing the brokerage account application, write "Registration Change" and the account number at the top of the application. Have all account holders complete the account application.
If you're changing the account's registration to an estate account, in Section 1 of the application, enter the Taxpayer ID number of the estate.
If the existing account has a margin balance, the executor(s)/heir(s) must apply for margin trading.
If the tax identification number or social security number will change, a new account will be opened, and all funds and securities will be moved to the new account. We will send you a welcome packet with logon, password, and trading information.
Only one certified copy of the death certificate will be needed in order to change the registration for a community property or tenants-in-common account.

Change the ownership on a custodial account if the minor dies

Ownership (control) of all funds and securities held in a custodial account at E*TRADE will transfer to the minor's estate.

To transfer ownership of the funds and securities held in the account, please send us the following documents:

E*TRADE Financial Beneficiary Services Cover Sheet
A brokerage (personal or estate) account application
A certified copy of the death certificate (photocopies not accepted)
A certified copy of estate paperwork naming the executor, administrator, or heir (i.e. Letters Testamentary, Letter of Appointment, Letters of Administration, other legal documentation, or notarized Small Estate Affidavit)
A notarized letter of instruction detailing your request signed by all parties

Please mail everything to us and we will handle things from there:

Once we receive the materials and update the account, an Alert will be sent to the account holder letting them know the registration has been updated.

Notes:

In some instances where physical stock certificates were mailed into the decedent's account and were not properly assigned to E*TRADE, additional documentation will be required. For assistance, please contact Customer Service.
A Small Estate Affidavit is applicable only if the account meets the appropriate state requirements for a small estate, and if the account will not pass through probate.
When completing the brokerage account application, write "Registration Change" and the account number at the top of the application. Have all account holders complete the account application.
If changing registration to an estate account, in Section 1 of the application, enter the Taxpayer ID number of the estate
If the tax identification number or social security number will change, a new account will be opened, and all funds and securities will be moved to the new account. We will send you a welcome packet with logon, password, and trading information.

Change the custodian on a custodial account if the custodian dies

To change the custodian on a custodial account due to death, please send us the following documents:

E*TRADE Financial Beneficiary Services Cover Sheet
A brokerage personal account application
A certified copy of the death certificate (photocopies not accepted)
A notarized letter of instruction from the new custodian detailing your request
Certified copy of birth certificate if new custodian is birth parent; certified copy of court documents naming legal guardian if new custodian is not birth parent.

Note:

If the minor is over 14 years of age, he/she may designate the new custodian. In this case, the notarized letter of instruction naming the new custodian should be provided by the minor.

Please mail everything to us and we'll handle things from there:

Once we receive the materials and update the account, an Alert will be sent to the account holder letting them know the registration has been updated.

Note: When completing the brokerage account application, write "Registration Change" and the account number at the top of application.

State law controls who is entitled to serve as custodian in the event that the current custodian passes away. Requests to update the custodian of an account will be subject to internal review.

Change the ownership on a trust account if a trustee dies

To remove the deceased trustee from an E*TRADE brokerage account registered in the name of a trust, please send us the following documents:

E*TRADE Financial Beneficiary Services Cover Sheet
A brokerage trust account application. (If there is no surviving trustee, the application should be completed by the successor trustee.)
A certified copy of the death certificate (photocopies not accepted)
A signed letter of instruction detailing your request
A brokerage Trust Certification of Trust Powers (TCTP) form signed by all trustees that will be listed on the account

Please mail everything to us and we will handle things from there:

Once we receive the materials and update the account, an Alert will be sent to the account holder letting them know the registration has been updated

Notes:

In some instances where physical stock certificates were mailed into the decedent's account and were not properly assigned to E*TRADE, additional documentation will be required. For assistance, please contact Customer Service.
In cases where there is no surviving original or grantor trustee, we will also need a copy of certain sections the trust agreement naming the successor trustee(s). This will include the title page of the trust document, successor trustee information, trust power information and a copy of the signature page of the trust.
When completing the brokerage account application, write "Registration Change" and the account number at the top of application.
If the existing account has a margin balance, the trustee(s) or successor trustee(s) must apply for margin trading.
If there are no surviving original or grantor trustees, a new tax identification number for the trust will be required. If the tax identification number or social security number will change, a new account will be opened, and all funds and securities will be moved to the new account. We will send you a welcome packet with logon, password, and trading information.
For assistance with establishing a new tax identification number for the trust, please visit www.irs.gov

Know what is required of an IRA account beneficiary

When an IRA account owner dies, the remaining funds are distributed to the beneficiary indicated on the beneficiary designation for the account. If you are the beneficiary, you should perform the following tasks:

Download and complete an Inherited IRA Account Application.
Send the form and a certified copy of the account owner's death certificate along with Cover Sheet to:

By regular U.S. mail
E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley
PO Box 484
Jersey City, NJ 07303-0484

By overnight mail
E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley
Harborside 2 200 Hudson Street, Suite 501
Jersey City, NJ 07311
1-800-ETRADE-1

Notes:

If there are multiple beneficiaries, include a written letter of instruction detailing your request signed by all parties.
If you are the spouse of the account holder, you also have the option to move the assets directly into your own IRA account.
- You can do this by opening a new IRA account online or downloading and completing an IRA Account Application. Please note that this option is an irreversible change.
If the beneficiary is an entity, additional documentation may be required, such as:
- For Estates, a certified copy of the estate paperwork naming the deceased's executor, administrator, or heir (i.e. Letters Testamentary, Letter of Appointment, Letters of Administration, or other legal documentation, or a notarized Small Estate Affidavit)
- For Trusts, copy of complete trust agreement with title, successor trustee, powers of trustee, and notarized signature page and any amendments, if applicable. The Beneficiary IRA Account Application will also need to be completed and signed by all trustees.
- For Charitable organization or any other entity, Organizational Document listing all authorized individuals for the organization.

Update a registration due to death if a Transfer on Death form is on record

If a Transfer on Death Registration Request & Agreement is on record for the affected E*TRADE brokerage account(s), ownership of all funds and securities held in the account will be transferred to the named beneficiary(s) indicated on the authorization form.

To update the registration on an account whose owner has passed away, please send us the following documents:

E*TRADE Financial Beneficiary Services Cover Sheet
A brokerage (personal or trust) account application
A certified copy of the death certificate (photocopies not accepted)
A written letter of instruction detailing your request signed by all parties

Please mail everything to us and we will handle things from there:

Notes:

In some instances where physical stock certificates were mailed into the decedent's account and were not properly assigned to E*TRADE, additional documentation will be required. For assistance, please contact Customer Service.
When completing the brokerage account application, write "Registration Change" and the account number at the top of application.
If the existing account has a margin balance, the executor(s)/heir(s) must apply for margin trading.