Retitled in place, or moved to a new account
Institutions handle the change in one of two ways. Some reregister the existing account in place: the owner becomes the trustee, the account usually keeps its number, and the holdings never move. Fidelity and Schwab work this way.
Others do not change the owner on an existing account at all. A new account is opened in the trust's name, and the holdings are transferred into it in kind, meaning the same shares move rather than being sold and repurchased. Vanguard works this way, so the trust account always has a new number.
Either way, ask for an in-kind move whenever assets change accounts. A sale and repurchase can realize capital gains that an in-kind transfer does not.
What to gather first
Every institution asks for the same core facts. Having them settled before the forms are filled in prevents most rejections.
- The exact name and date of the trust, as written in the trust document.
- The name of every current trustee, and whether each will sign.
- Which Social Security number the trust uses. A revocable trust usually uses the grantor's number while the grantor is living.
- Whether the current account owners and the trustees are the same people. At Fidelity, Schwab and Vanguard alike, this decides whether extra signatures are needed.
- The trust documentation the institution accepts: its own certification form, or specific pages of the trust.
- Anything on the account that the change can remove: a transfer-on-death designation, trading authority, a power of attorney, options or margin approval, checkwriting.
The trustee title on the new registration should match the trust document, for example "Jane A. Smith, Trustee of the Smith Family Revocable Trust dated January 15, 2026." The trust funding guide covers titling and the other asset types.
A certification, or a few pages, not the whole trust
None of the three institutions below wants the full trust document. Each accepts either a certification of trust, a short summary signed by the trustees, or copies of the specific pages that show the trust's name and date, its current trustees and successors, and the signatures.
Most states have a certification statute, many modeled on section 1013 of the Uniform Trust Code. It lets a trustee furnish a certification instead of the trust, and protects an institution that relies on it without knowing it is wrong. Institutions still reserve the right to ask for more.
A notary stamp is not a signature guarantee
Two different signature requirements show up on these forms, and they are not interchangeable.
- Notarization confirms the identity of the person signing. Any notary public can provide it.
- A medallion signature guarantee is a guarantee by a bank, broker or credit union in a medallion program that the signature is genuine and the signer has authority. A notary cannot provide one. Fidelity and Vanguard both say so on their forms.
Moving an owner's own account into the owner's own revocable trust at the same institution is the easy case. None of the three requires a medallion guarantee for it. Requirements rise when someone new becomes a trustee, when an owner is removed, or when the account is large.
Fidelity, Schwab and Vanguard compared
| Fidelity | Schwab | Vanguard | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Existing account | Retitled in place | Converted in place | New trust account; holdings move in kind |
| Account number | Stays if the tax reporting number stays | Stays unless the taxpayer ID changes | Always new |
| Trust documents | Fidelity Certification of Trust, or pages | First and signature pages, or a full certification | Relevant pages, or a notarized certification |
| Medallion guarantee | Only in defined cases above $10,000 or $100,000 | Not on the application | Not for the internal move |
| Notarization | Not on the certification | Certain states only; not for same-person revocable trusts | If owners differ, or no trust pages are sent |
| Published timing | None | None | About 5 business days, then 1 to 3 for the transfer |
Retirement accounts
IRAs, 401(k)s and other retirement accounts are not retitled to a trust. They are owned by one individual, and changing the owner can be treated as a distribution. Where a trust is meant to receive a retirement account, it is named on the institution's beneficiary form instead. Naming a trust has significant tax consequences, so the estate attorney and tax advisor should confirm the designation before it is submitted. See naming a trust as IRA beneficiary.
Bank accounts
Checking, savings and CD accounts follow the same logic with one more option. The account can be retitled to the trustee, or kept in the owner's name with a payable-on-death designation naming the trust. Retitling gives the successor trustee access if the owner becomes incapacitated. A payable-on-death designation does not, because it takes effect only at death. Which fits is a planning question for the client and their attorney.
Banks often route trust retitling through a trust operations department rather than the branch, and they usually want their own change of ownership form and a certification of trust. Ask where the request should go before anything is mailed. Whether the account number changes depends on the bank.
Accounts held through an advisor's custodian
The pages linked below cover retail accounts, the ones a household opens directly. Accounts held through an independent advisor sit on the custodian's advisor platform: the advisor services arms of Schwab and Fidelity, Pershing, LPL, Raymond James and others. Those platforms keep their forms behind advisor logins, and they revise them on their own schedule.
The documents they ask for are similar: a trust account application or reregistration form, a certification or trust pages, and the trustees' signatures. The custodian's service team is the authority on which current form applies and which signatures it needs. Requests most often come back for reasons the forms spell out:
- The trust name or date on the form does not match the trust document.
- A trustee did not sign, or a successor trustee is not shown on the pages sent.
- The pages sent do not include the signature pages.
- A medallion guarantee was required and a notary stamp was provided instead.
- An older version of the form was used.
- An account feature, such as a transfer-on-death designation or margin, was not addressed.
Starting the request
Where an institution needs a written request before it sends its packet, the trust funding letter template shows what the letter should say. The letter starts the change. The institution's confirmation is what shows the account is titled to the trust. For why that step so often stalls after the signing, see why revocable trusts go unfunded after signing.
By institution
Bancroft is not affiliated with or endorsed by Fidelity, Schwab, Vanguard or any other institution named on this page. Names are used only to identify the institutions. Requirements change; confirm with each institution before submitting forms. This page is general information about each institution’s published process, not legal or tax advice about any household’s accounts.