In Massachusetts, is a customer(the trustee in an informal trust or payable on death account) able to designate a non-person as a beneficiary on their account? In other words, can we title an account, John Jones, Trustee for the estate of John Jones or as John Jones, trustee for the MSPCA?

My reaction, without checking the law, is that there is nothing wrong with that.

The operative law, §6 of Chapter 167D, uses the term "person" without further defining same. Because the section deals with persons who die, the owners of the accounts in question would of necessity be natural persons. However, there would appear to be no such requirement for the beneficiary of such an account.

In the examples given by the first poster, however, it would seem unwise or at least unnecessary to style an account "John Jones trustee for estate of John Jones" since the funds would go that estate absent any trustee designation.

Keep in mind that if all parties to the account (including all beneficiaries) are not "natural persons" it is not eligible for a NOW Account.