Beneficiaries | Robinhood

Beneficiaries

Transfer on Death (TOD) and IRA beneficiaries give you additional control over who inherits your Robinhood assets if you were to pass away. Beneficiaries can choose to hold onto the assets in your Robinhood accounts, or to liquidate or transfer your assets to another brokerage.

Without beneficiary designations, your brokerage assets may be sent into probate court before going to your next of kin. Probate can be a lengthy process. Your IRAs would be subject to the default beneficiary provisions, which are your surviving spouse (if any), or your estate if you have no surviving spouse. To help ensure a smoother transition of your assets, you can add beneficiaries to your Robinhood accounts.

To set up beneficiaries for your brokerage and IRA accounts, select AccountMenu (3 bars) or SettingsBeneficiaries in the app.

You should consult with your own estate, tax, financial, and/or legal advisors when designating beneficiaries to ensure they align with your estate plan.

Note

Louisiana state legislation limits our ability to transfer assets. As a result, Transfer on Death (TOD) registrations for beneficiaries aren't currently available for Robinhood customers in the state of Louisiana.

IRA account beneficiaries

You can name beneficiaries for your Robinhood IRAs separately from your brokerage account. Your assets will be split across all listed beneficiaries as specified for your Robinhood IRAs. You can add up to 10 beneficiaries when you set up your IRA with Robinhood or any time after that in RetirementMenu (3 bars) or SettingsBeneficiaries.

For more about how your IRA beneficiary designation and distribution provisions work, check out Article VIII (5)(c) of the IRA Custodial Account Agreement that you received when opening an IRA with us. The IRS website and IRS Publication 590-B have more general rules and information about IRA beneficiaries.

FAQ

What are TOD beneficiaries?

Transfer on Death (TOD) beneficiaries receive your Robinhood brokerage account holdings if you were to pass away. If that happens, beneficiaries can receive your assets without going through a possibly lengthy probate court process. TOD beneficiaries aren't applicable for IRA accounts as they operate under different rules.

What do beneficiaries need to do if I pass away?

Designated TOD beneficiaries and IRA beneficiaries should contact us to begin the process to claim their assets. Our estates team will coordinate with your beneficiaries from there.

To receive your Robinhood assets, the beneficiaries will need to provide our estates team with the account owner’s death certificate, and may need to show their government-issued ID and other documentation. Any assets remaining will then be transferred to the beneficiaries.

Can I change my beneficiary designations?

Yes, you can change your beneficiaries at any time. In the app, go to AccountMenu (3 bars) or SettingsBeneficiaries, and then select Edit to add a new beneficiary, change their information, or delete an existing one.

Does Robinhood tell beneficiaries they’ve been added or removed?

No. Robinhood will never contact a beneficiary except in the event of a transfer on death. You should make sure your beneficiaries know that they’ve been named and that they may need to reach out to Robinhood if you were to pass away.

Also, if you live in a common-law state, your spouse is, by default, your beneficiary unless you get consent from them to register someone else.

Can I adjust beneficiaries’ allocations?

Not yet. Your assets will be split evenly across your named beneficiaries to the extent possible. Robinhood will round to whole percentages if you’ve elected a number of beneficiaries that can’t be divided by 100% (e.g. 34%, 33%, and 33%).

Are crypto assets covered?

Not at this time. We’re working to include crypto in the beneficiary process, but until then, any crypto assets will be distributed as a part of your estate.

What assets can a beneficiary receive?

TOD beneficiaries can generally receive all securities, cash, and options contracts currently in your account. They can transfer non-cash assets, like stocks, to their own Robinhood account. From their account, TOD beneficiaries can hold the assets, transfer them to another brokerage through ACATS, or liquidate them for cash.

IRA beneficiaries will need to open an Inherited IRA account with Robinhood to receive their assets, unless they're a spouse beneficiary and choose to receive them into their own IRA. The rules surrounding the distribution and tax treatment of Inherited IRA assets can be complex, and we recommend any IRA beneficiary consult with a tax professional for their unique situation.

Note

Because options contracts can’t be split, if you designate more than 1 beneficiary and are holding options positions when you pass away, they may be closed and then distributed.

Does my spouse or partner need to consent to these designations?

If you’re married and live or have lived in a community property state (Alaska,* Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin), you have to get consent from your spouse or domestic partner before you can name another individual as your beneficiary.

You should consult with your own estate, tax, financial, and/or legal advisors when designating non-spousal beneficiaries to determine whether spousal consent is needed.

Note

*Alaska is considered a community property state only when spouses opt-in to a community property arrangement.

Whom can I designate as my beneficiary?

To be eligible as a TOD or IRA beneficiary, the individual must be a person who is at least 18 years old, a US Citizen, or otherwise be legally permitted to open a Robinhood account. For more information on eligibility, check out What you need to get started.

What happens if my accounts don’t have beneficiary designations?

If you were to pass away without designating a beneficiary, TOD assets in your account would then be eligible for probate court or a probate alternative, depending on the account value. Probate will be subject to the applicable laws of your state of residence.

Your IRAs would be subject to the beneficiary default provisions, which are your surviving spouse (if any) or your estate if you have no surviving spouse.

Who is eligible to add a beneficiary to their account?

Any active account owner not currently residing in the state of Louisiana. Transfer on Death (TOD) registrations aren't currently available for Robinhood customers in the state of Louisiana. If you no longer live in the state of Louisiana but are still unable to add a beneficiary, be sure to update your residential address before adding one.

Note

Robinhood doesn't provide legal advice or services. Please discuss these matters with the appropriate professional.

Disclosures

Certain terms apply, see the Transfer on Death Beneficiaries Agreement for additional information about how options or assets held at affiliates like Robinhood Crypto are handled for transfer on death account type registrations.

All investments involve risk and loss of principal is possible. Investors should consider their investment objectives and risks carefully before investing.

Funds being contributed into or distributed from retirement accounts may entail tax consequences. Contributions are limited and withdrawals before age 59 1/2 may be subject to a penalty tax.

Contents provided are for informational purposes only and don't constitute tax or investment advice. For specific questions, you should consult a tax professional. Links to third-party sites are being provided for informational purposes only.

The Robinhood IRA is available to any customer with a Robinhood brokerage account in good standing.

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Brokerage services are offered through Robinhood Financial LLC, (“RHF”) a registered broker-dealer (member SIPC) and clearing services through Robinhood Securities, LLC, (“RHS”) a registered broker dealer (member SIPC). Cryptocurrency services are offered through Robinhood Crypto, LLC (“RHC”) (NMLS ID: 1702840). The Robinhood Money spending account is offered through Robinhood Money, LLC (“RHY”) (NMLS ID: 1990968), a licensed money transmitter. Credit card products are offered by Robinhood Credit, Inc. (“RCT“) (NMLS ID: 1781911 and issued by Coastal Community Bank, Member FDIC, pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc.

The Robinhood Cash Card is a prepaid card issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC, pursuant to a license from Mastercard® International Incorporated. RHF, RHY, RHC and RHS are affiliated entities and wholly owned subsidiaries of Robinhood Markets, Inc. RHF, RHY, RHC and RHS are not banks. Securities products offered by RHF are not FDIC insured and involve risk, including possible loss of principal. Cryptocurrencies held in RHC accounts are not covered by FDIC or SIPC protections and are not regulated by FINRA. RHY products are not subject to SIPC coverage but funds held in the Robinhood Money spending account and Robinhood Cash Card account may be eligible for FDIC pass-through insurance (review the Robinhood Cash Card Agreement and the Robinhood Spending Account Agreement).

Options trading entails significant risk and is not appropriate for all customers. Customers must read and understand the Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options before engaging in any options trading strategies. Options transactions are often complex and may involve the potential of losing the entire investment in a relatively short period of time. Certain complex options strategies carry additional risk, including the potential for losses that may exceed the original investment amount.

Commission-free trading of stocks, ETFs and options refers to $0 commissions for Robinhood Financial self-directed individual cash or margin brokerage accounts that trade U.S. listed securities and certain OTC securities electronically. Keep in mind, other fees such as trading (non-commission) fees, Gold subscription fees, wire transfer fees, and paper statement fees may apply to your brokerage account. Please see Robinhood Financial's Fee Schedule to learn more.

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All investing involves risk.

Brokerage services are offered through Robinhood Financial LLC, (“RHF”) a registered broker-dealer (member SIPC) and clearing services through Robinhood Securities, LLC, (“RHS”) a registered broker dealer (member SIPC). Cryptocurrency services are offered through Robinhood Crypto, LLC (“RHC”) (NMLS ID: 1702840). The Robinhood Money spending account is offered through Robinhood Money, LLC (“RHY”) (NMLS ID: 1990968), a licensed money transmitter. Credit card products are offered by Robinhood Credit, Inc. (“RCT“) (NMLS ID: 1781911 and issued by Coastal Community Bank, Member FDIC, pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc.

The Robinhood Cash Card is a prepaid card issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC, pursuant to a license from Mastercard® International Incorporated. RHF, RHY, RHC and RHS are affiliated entities and wholly owned subsidiaries of Robinhood Markets, Inc. RHF, RHY, RHC and RHS are not banks. Securities products offered by RHF are not FDIC insured and involve risk, including possible loss of principal. Cryptocurrencies held in RHC accounts are not covered by FDIC or SIPC protections and are not regulated by FINRA. RHY products are not subject to SIPC coverage but funds held in the Robinhood Money spending account and Robinhood Cash Card account may be eligible for FDIC pass-through insurance (review the Robinhood Cash Card Agreement and the Robinhood Spending Account Agreement).

Options trading entails significant risk and is not appropriate for all customers. Customers must read and understand the Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options before engaging in any options trading strategies. Options transactions are often complex and may involve the potential of losing the entire investment in a relatively short period of time. Certain complex options strategies carry additional risk, including the potential for losses that may exceed the original investment amount.

Commission-free trading of stocks, ETFs and options refers to $0 commissions for Robinhood Financial self-directed individual cash or margin brokerage accounts that trade U.S. listed securities and certain OTC securities electronically. Keep in mind, other fees such as trading (non-commission) fees, Gold subscription fees, wire transfer fees, and paper statement fees may apply to your brokerage account. Please see Robinhood Financial's Fee Schedule to learn more.

© 2024 Robinhood. All rights reserved.