Changing Sole Owner to a Conservator Account

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Question:

Can a sole owner account with a beneficiary change to a conservator account? Also, can the beneficiary remain on the account?

Answer:

Assuming that a "conservator" is a court appointed fiduciary, the conservator needs to open his own account and take control over the ward's funds. Mechanically, he will close the ward's accounts and deposit the funds into the conservatorship account. The conservatorship account will be subject to review by the court. It will never have a POD beneficiary.

Never use file maintenance to change the ownership provisions on an account.

First published on BankersOnline.com 10/3/11