Notify us of a death. Notify us (and anyplace else where the person had an account) as soon as you can. We'll secure their Schwab accounts, and prepare to work with the estate. All you need is their name and Social Security number.

A beneficiary designation is a legally binding directive that allows the owner of a financial asset to designate who receives the benefits of the asset upon the owner's death.

Brokerage account beneficiary designations allow the account to pass directly to the beneficiary without going through probate. The beneficiary can then make quick financial decisions, which is especially important if you have a time-sensitive investment strategy.

Beneficiary designations allow you to transfer assets directly to individuals, regardless of the terms of your will. Beneficiary designations are often made when a financial account, retirement account, or life insurance policy is established. But, these designations should be reviewed periodically.

A designated beneficiary is named on a life insurance policy or financial account as the recipient of those assets in the event of the account holder's death. A designated beneficiary is a living person. Non-person entities are not considered to be designated beneficiaries, even if named on a retirement account.

"Designated Beneficiary Plan" is the term Schwab uses to refer to its Plan enabling clients to name beneficiaries on their Schwab One Brokerage accounts and applies to Schwab One Brokerage accounts with a linked High Yield Investor Checking account.