Yes! You can use AI to fill out Empower Beneficiary Designation Form for WoodmenLife 401(k) Plan
This form is a legal document for participants of the WoodmenLife 401(k) Plan, administered by Empower Retirement, to formally declare their primary and contingent beneficiaries. Properly designating beneficiaries is crucial to ensure that your retirement assets are distributed according to your wishes, potentially avoiding legal complications for your heirs. Today, this form can be filled out quickly and accurately using AI-powered services like Instafill.ai, which can also convert non-fillable PDF versions into interactive fillable forms.
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Form specifications
| Form name: | Empower Beneficiary Designation Form for WoodmenLife 401(k) Plan |
| Number of pages: | 1 |
| Language: | English |
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How to Fill Out STD FBENED 194505-01 Online for Free in 2026
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Follow these steps to fill out your STD FBENED 194505-01 form online using Instafill.ai:
- 1 Navigate to Instafill.ai and upload or select the Empower Beneficiary Designation form.
- 2 Provide your personal details in the 'Participant Information' section, including your name, Social Security Number, and contact information.
- 3 Enter the full names, relationships, and personal details for your chosen primary beneficiaries, ensuring the allocation percentages total 100%.
- 4 Input the information for any contingent beneficiaries you wish to name, again making sure the percentages for this section total 100%.
- 5 Carefully review all entered information for accuracy, then sign and date the 'Participant Consent' section.
- 6 If you are married and not naming your spouse as the 100% primary beneficiary, ensure the 'Spousal Consent' section is completed, signed by your spouse, and notarized as required.
- 7 Download the completed form and submit it to Empower Retirement via fax or mail according to the instructions provided on the document.
Our AI-powered system ensures each field is filled out correctly, reducing errors and saving you time.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Form STD FBENED 194505-01
This form allows you to officially name the individuals, trusts, or other entities who will receive the assets from your WoodmenLife 401(k) Plan account upon your death. This designation will replace any previous ones you have on file.
Any participant in the WoodmenLife 401(k) Plan administered by Empower Retirement should complete this form to direct how their account balance will be distributed after they pass away.
A primary beneficiary is the first in line to receive your account assets. Contingent beneficiaries will only receive the assets if all of your primary beneficiaries have passed away before you.
Yes, according to the plan rules, if you are married you must either name your spouse as the 100% primary beneficiary or have your spouse sign the 'Spousal Consent' section of this form. This consent must be notarized or witnessed by the Plan Administrator.
You must assign a whole percentage to each beneficiary, and the total for all primary beneficiaries must equal 100%. Similarly, the total for all contingent beneficiaries must also equal 100%.
If you list multiple beneficiaries in a category (primary or contingent) but do not assign percentages, the account balance will be divided equally among them.
Yes, you can name a trust, charity, or your estate as a beneficiary. You will need to provide the entity's full legal name and its Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN).
If you need to name more beneficiaries than the form allows, you can attach an additional sheet with all the required information for each person. Ensure the percentage totals still add up to 100% for each category.
You can fax the completed and signed form to 1-866-745-5766 or mail it to the Empower Retirement address provided in Section D. Be sure to use the correct address for regular or express mail.
For questions regarding this form, you can visit the website at www.empower-retirement.com/participant or call the Service Center at 1-888-411-4015.
Yes, services like Instafill.ai use AI to help you accurately auto-fill form fields with your information, which can save time and reduce the chance of errors.
You can use a service like Instafill.ai to upload the PDF and fill it out on your computer. This allows you to type your information directly into the fields before printing the completed form for signatures.
If you have a non-fillable PDF, you can use a tool like Instafill.ai to convert it into an interactive, fillable form. This makes it easy to complete the document electronically before printing.
Compliance STD FBENED 194505-01
Validation Checks by Instafill.ai
1
Primary Beneficiary Percentage Summation
This check verifies that the sum of percentages assigned to all primary beneficiaries equals exactly 100%. The form explicitly states that primary designations must total 100%. This is critical to ensure the participant's entire account balance is allocated as intended. If the total is not 100%, the form will be rejected, and the participant will be asked to correct the percentages.
2
Contingent Beneficiary Percentage Summation
This check verifies that the sum of percentages assigned to all contingent beneficiaries equals exactly 100%. Similar to primary beneficiaries, this ensures the entire account is properly allocated if no primary beneficiaries are able to inherit. A failure to total 100% will cause the form to be considered incomplete and require correction.
3
Spousal Consent Requirement Logic
This validation determines if spousal consent is required. It checks if the participant's marital status is 'Married' and if the primary beneficiary is not the spouse for 100% of the account balance. Per ERISA rules and the form's instructions, spousal consent is mandatory in this scenario to waive the spouse's right to the full benefit. If consent is required but not provided, the designation is invalid.
4
Spousal Consent Section Completeness
If the 'Spousal Consent Requirement Logic' check determines consent is needed, this validation ensures the 'Spousal Consent for Beneficiary Designation' section is fully completed. It verifies the presence of the spouse's name, signature, and the date of signature. Missing any of these elements renders the consent invalid and will cause the form to be rejected.
5
Participant SSN Format and Completeness
This check ensures the participant's Social Security Number in Section A is complete and follows the 9-digit format. The SSN is the primary unique identifier for the participant's account. An incomplete or invalid SSN will prevent the system from correctly identifying the participant and processing the form, leading to rejection.
6
Participant Signature and Date Presence
This validation confirms that the participant has signed and dated the form in Section C. The signature legally affirms the participant's choices and understanding of the designation. A missing signature or date invalidates the entire document, as it cannot be proven that the participant authorized the changes.
7
Spousal Consent Attestation Verification
When spousal consent is provided, this check ensures the spouse's signature is properly witnessed, either by a Notary Public or the Plan Administrator. It verifies that either the 'Statement of Notary' section is completed or the 'Plan Administrator Signature' is present. This attestation is a legal requirement to prevent fraud and ensure the consent was given willingly, and its absence will invalidate the spousal consent.
8
Spousal Consent Date Consistency
This check verifies that the date of the spouse's signature matches the date of the notarization or the Plan Administrator's witness signature. The form explicitly states these dates must match. This synchronization proves the signature was witnessed on the day it was made, which is crucial for legal validity. A mismatch will result in the rejection of the consent.
9
Beneficiary Information Completeness
This validation ensures that for every beneficiary (primary or contingent) with an assigned percentage, essential identifying information is provided. It checks for the presence of the beneficiary's name, relationship, and either a Social Security Number/Taxpayer Identification Number or a Date of Birth/Trust Date. Missing this data can make it impossible to locate or verify the beneficiary, delaying or preventing payment of benefits.
10
Beneficiary ID Number Format
This check validates the format of the 'Social Security or Taxpayer Identification Number' for each listed beneficiary. It ensures the number is either a 9-digit SSN (for individuals) or a 9-digit TIN (for entities like trusts or charities). Correct formatting is essential for tax reporting and accurately identifying the beneficiary entity.
11
Date Field Format Validation
This check ensures that all date fields on the form, including the participant's Date of Birth and each beneficiary's Date of Birth or Trust Date, are in a valid MM/DD/YYYY format. This prevents data entry errors and ensures dates are unambiguous for legal and administrative purposes. An invalid date format would cause a processing failure.
12
Whole Percentage Validation
This check confirms that all entered percentages for both primary and contingent beneficiaries are whole numbers, as specified in the form's instructions. Using fractional or decimal percentages is not allowed and would violate the plan's rules for allocation. The form will be returned for correction if non-whole numbers are used.
13
Participant Information Completeness
This validation ensures all mandatory fields in Section A, 'Participant Information,' are filled out. This includes the participant's full name, Social Security Number, Date of Birth, and marital status. This basic information is the foundation for identifying the account holder and applying the correct rules (like spousal consent), so any missing data will halt processing.
14
Header Information Consistency
This check verifies that the participant's name and Social Security Number in the headers of pages 2 and 3 match the information provided in Section A on page 1. This is important for multi-page submissions to ensure all pages belong to the same participant and that no pages have been mixed up. A mismatch could indicate an incomplete or incorrect submission.
Common Mistakes in Completing STD FBENED 194505-01
Married participants often name beneficiaries other than their spouse (like children) without obtaining the required spousal consent. The form explicitly states that if you are married and do not name your spouse as the 100% primary beneficiary, your spouse must sign and date the consent section. Failure to obtain this signed, dated, and notarized consent will render your beneficiary designation invalid and may result in the entire account balance being paid to your spouse upon your death, regardless of your wishes.
A frequent error is allocating percentages that do not add up to exactly 100% for either the primary or contingent beneficiaries. The form requires designations to be in whole percentages, so using decimals or fractions will also cause rejection. This mistake, often a simple math error, will cause the form to be returned for correction, delaying the update to your account and leaving your old designation in effect.
Even when spousal consent is obtained, it is often notarized incorrectly, leading to rejection. Common errors include the spouse's signature date not matching the notary's date, the notary seal being missing or illegible, or the notary failing to complete all required fields. To avoid this, sign the form in the presence of the notary and ensure the dates match exactly before leaving the notary's office.
People frequently leave critical beneficiary details blank, such as the Social Security Number (SSN) or Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), and the full Date of Birth. This information is essential for the plan administrator to locate and positively identify your beneficiaries without ambiguity. Missing data can cause significant delays and complications for your heirs when they try to claim the benefits.
Participants sometimes enter informal names (e.g., 'Mike' instead of 'Michael') or vague relationships (e.g., 'Friend') for their beneficiaries. It is critical to use the beneficiary's full, legal name as it appears on their government-issued ID. Using incorrect or informal names can create legal hurdles and require additional documentation for your heirs to prove their identity, delaying the payment of benefits.
Many people meticulously name primary beneficiaries but neglect to name any contingent beneficiaries. If all your primary beneficiaries predecease you or disclaim the inheritance, the lack of a contingent beneficiary means your retirement assets will be paid to your estate. This can subject the funds to the lengthy and costly probate process, which a proper beneficiary designation is designed to avoid.
It is surprisingly common for the participant to complete the entire form but forget to sign and date it in Section C. An unsigned or undated form is not legally valid and will be rejected immediately by the service center. This simple oversight means your beneficiary designation will not be recorded, leaving any prior designations—or no designation at all—in place.
This form is a non-fillable PDF, requiring it to be printed and completed by hand, which often results in illegible handwriting. A smudged number in a Social Security Number or a misspelled name can lead to significant processing errors or rejection. To prevent this, write slowly and clearly in block letters, or use a tool like Instafill.ai, which can convert the PDF into an easily fillable digital form to ensure all entries are clear and accurate.
When designating a trust, charity, or estate, filers often provide incomplete or incorrect information. It is crucial to use the exact legal name of the entity, the correct Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), and the date of the trust's creation, as shown in the form's examples. Providing partial or incorrect information can lead to the designation being rejected or create legal challenges in distributing the funds.
The form includes a header for the participant's name and Social Security Number on pages 2 and 3, which is often overlooked. While it may seem redundant, filling this out prevents processing issues if the pages become separated during mailing or scanning. Ensuring each page is identifiable protects the integrity of your submission and prevents delays caused by incomplete information.
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