Yes! You can use AI to fill out Empower Beneficiary Designation Governmental 457(b) Plan
This form allows participants in a Governmental 457(b) retirement plan, administered by Empower, to officially designate their primary and contingent beneficiaries. Properly completing this document is crucial to ensure your retirement assets are distributed according to your wishes after your death, avoiding potential probate complications. 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 Governmental 457(b) Plan |
| Number of pages: | 1 |
| Language: | English |
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How to Fill Out Empower 457(b) Beneficiary Designation Online for Free in 2026
Are you looking to fill out a EMPOWER 457(B) BENEFICIARY DESIGNATION form online quickly and accurately? Instafill.ai offers the #1 AI-powered PDF filling software of 2026, allowing you to complete your EMPOWER 457(B) BENEFICIARY DESIGNATION form in just 37 seconds or less.
Follow these steps to fill out your EMPOWER 457(B) BENEFICIARY DESIGNATION form online using Instafill.ai:
- 1 Navigate to Instafill.ai and upload the Empower Beneficiary Designation form or select it from their template library.
- 2 Provide your personal information as the plan participant, including your full name, Social Security Number, and contact details.
- 3 Enter the full names, relationships, and percentage shares for each of your primary beneficiaries.
- 4 Optionally, designate contingent beneficiaries who will inherit the assets if the primary beneficiaries are unable to.
- 5 If designating a non-individual like a trust or charity, provide the specific entity details as instructed on the form.
- 6 Review all the information you've entered, using the AI assistant to check for completeness and accuracy.
- 7 Electronically sign and date the form before downloading it for submission to Empower or your plan administrator.
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 Empower 457(b) Beneficiary Designation
This form allows you to officially name the people or entities who will receive the assets in your Governmental 457(b) retirement account upon your death. Keeping this form updated ensures your assets are distributed according to your wishes.
Any participant in the Empower Governmental 457(b) Plan should complete this form to have a valid beneficiary on file. It is especially important to submit a new form after major life events like marriage, divorce, or the birth of a child.
A primary beneficiary is the first person or entity to receive your account assets. A contingent beneficiary only receives the assets if all of your primary beneficiaries have passed away before you.
For each individual, you will need their full name, Social Security Number, date of birth, and relationship to you. For entities like a trust or charity, you must provide the full legal name and Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN).
Yes, the total share for all your primary beneficiaries must equal 100%. Likewise, the total share for all your contingent beneficiaries must also equal 100%.
To designate a trust, you must provide the full legal name of the trust, the date the trust was created, and the trust's Taxpayer Identification Number. The form provides examples on how to correctly format this information.
If you do not have a valid beneficiary designation on file, your account balance will be paid out according to the plan's rules and applicable law. This often means it goes to your spouse or your estate, which may not be your preference and could cause delays.
Yes, you can change your beneficiaries at any time by submitting a new, completed Beneficiary Designation form. The most recently dated and accepted form on file with Empower will replace all prior designations.
Submission instructions, including the mailing address or fax number, are typically located at the bottom or on the last page of the form. You may also be able to upload the completed form through your online account portal.
After your form is received, it typically takes several business days to process. You should receive a confirmation notice or be able to verify the updated beneficiaries by logging into your online account.
Depending on your plan's rules and state law, you may need your spouse's signed and notarized consent if you name someone other than your spouse as a primary beneficiary. Check the form for a spousal consent section or review your plan documents.
Yes, services like Instafill.ai use AI to auto-fill form fields accurately and save time. These tools can help you input your personal details and beneficiary information quickly and reduce the chance of errors.
To fill the form online, upload the PDF to the Instafill.ai platform. The AI will make the form fillable, and you can securely provide your information to have the fields populated automatically before you download, print, and sign.
If you have a non-fillable or 'flat' PDF, you can use a tool like Instafill.ai. It can convert the static document into an interactive, fillable form online, allowing you to type your information directly into the fields.
Compliance Empower 457(b) Beneficiary Designation
Validation Checks by Instafill.ai
1
Participant SSN Format Validation
This check ensures the Participant's Social Security Number is entered in a valid 9-digit format (XXX-XX-XXXX or XXXXXXXXX). This is critical for uniquely identifying the participant and linking the designation to the correct account. A failure in this validation would prevent the form from being processed, as the participant cannot be accurately identified in the system.
2
Primary Beneficiary Share Percentage Sum
Validates that the sum of the 'Share %' for all listed Primary Beneficiaries equals exactly 100%. This is a crucial logical check to ensure the entire account balance is allocated without ambiguity. If the total is not 100%, the form is considered incomplete and legally unclear, and it will be rejected until the percentages are corrected.
3
Contingent Beneficiary Share Percentage Sum
Validates that the sum of the 'Share %' for all listed Contingent Beneficiaries equals exactly 100%. Similar to the primary check, this ensures the entire account balance is properly allocated if no primary beneficiaries are eligible. An incorrect total will cause the form to be rejected to prevent disputes and processing errors in the future.
4
Completeness of Beneficiary Information
For each beneficiary row that is started, this check ensures all required fields (Name, Relationship, SSN/TIN, and Share %) are filled out. An incomplete beneficiary entry is ambiguous and cannot be processed. This validation prevents situations where a beneficiary is listed but cannot be identified or their intended share is unknown, which would lead to legal complications.
5
Beneficiary SSN/TIN Format and Requirement
This check verifies that the Social Security Number (for an individual) or Tax ID Number (for an entity like a trust) is provided and follows the correct 9-digit format. This number is essential for tax reporting and correctly identifying the beneficiary. If the beneficiary is an individual, the SSN field is mandatory; if it's an entity, the TIN is mandatory.
6
Beneficiary Date of Birth Requirement for Individuals
Ensures that the 'Date of Birth' field is completed with a valid, non-future date for any beneficiary who is an individual person (not a trust, estate, or charity). This information helps to uniquely identify the beneficiary and is often required for administrative and legal purposes. Failure to provide a valid DOB for an individual beneficiary will result in the form's rejection.
7
Spousal Consent Logic for Community Property States
This is a conditional check that activates if the participant resides in a community property state (AZ, CA, ID, LA, NV, NM, TX, WA, WI). It verifies that if the spouse is not the sole primary beneficiary for 100%, the 'Spousal Consent' section is properly signed by the spouse and witnessed. This is a critical legal requirement to ensure the non-participant spouse waives their right to the assets, preventing future legal challenges to the designation.
8
Participant Signature and Date Presence
Verifies that the participant has signed the form and that the signature date is present and valid (i.e., not in the future). The participant's signature is the legal attestation that makes the beneficiary designation official. A missing signature or date invalidates the entire document, and it cannot be processed.
9
Witness Signature Requirement for Spousal Consent
If the 'Spousal Consent' section is completed, this check ensures that it has been signed and dated by a valid witness (Plan Administrator or Notary Public). The witness signature confirms the identity of the spouse and that the consent was given willingly. Without a valid witness signature, the spousal consent is not legally binding, and the form will be rejected.
10
Participant Date of Birth Validity
This check validates that the participant's Date of Birth is a complete and logical date (e.g., MM/DD/YYYY format) and that the participant is of a reasonable age (e.g., over 18). An invalid or nonsensical date can cause record-keeping errors and may indicate a data entry mistake. This validation ensures the core data for the plan holder is accurate from the start.
11
Email Address Format Validation
Ensures the participant's email address, if provided, follows a standard format (e.g., [email protected]). While often not a mandatory field for form validity, if an email is entered, it must be structurally correct to be useful for communication. This prevents the storage of useless data and ensures that any automated communications do not fail.
12
Date Consistency Across Form
This validation checks that the dates on the form are logically consistent. Specifically, the Participant Signature Date must be on or after the Spousal Consent Signature Date. This ensures the participant's final authorization occurs after the spousal waiver, maintaining the correct legal sequence of events. Inconsistent dates can call the validity of the entire document into question.
Common Mistakes in Completing Empower 457(b) Beneficiary Designation
People often use nicknames, initials, or incomplete legal names (e.g., 'Jenny Smith' instead of 'Jennifer A. Smith'). This happens due to familiarity with the person. However, it can cause significant delays and legal challenges during the payout process, as the plan administrator must verify the beneficiary's identity. To avoid this, always use the full, legal name as it appears on government-issued identification like a driver's license or passport.
A frequent error is assigning percentages to primary beneficiaries that do not add up to exactly 100%. This can happen from simple miscalculation or misunderstanding the requirement. An incorrect total will cause the form to be rejected, delaying the processing of your designation and leaving your previous designation in effect. Always double-check your math to ensure the total share for all primary beneficiaries is precisely 100%.
Many participants only fill out the primary beneficiary section and leave the contingent section blank. They may not consider the possibility that all their primary beneficiaries could predecease them. If this occurs with no contingent beneficiaries named, the plan assets will likely be paid to the participant's estate, forcing them through the costly and time-consuming probate process, which a beneficiary designation is meant to avoid. Always name contingent beneficiaries as a backup.
When designating a trust, people often write a generic name like 'My Family Trust' instead of the full, formal name. A correct designation requires the trust's full legal name, the date it was created, and the Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN). Failure to provide this exact information can lead to legal complications or even invalidate the designation, preventing assets from being transferred into the trust as intended. Refer to your trust documents for the precise details.
If a married participant names someone other than their spouse as the sole primary beneficiary, the plan or state law may require the spouse to formally waive their rights by signing a consent section on the form. Overlooking this step is a critical error that can invalidate the entire beneficiary designation. This could result in the plan assets being paid to the spouse by default, against the participant's wishes. Always review plan rules to see if spousal consent is necessary.
It is surprisingly common for individuals to complete the entire form but forget to sign and date it at the bottom. An unsigned or undated form is legally invalid and will not be accepted by the plan administrator. This means your beneficiary designation will not be updated, and any prior designation (or the plan's default rules) will remain in effect. Always perform a final review to ensure you have signed and dated the document.
Participants often leave the Social Security Number (SSN) or Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) field for a beneficiary blank, either because they don't know it or don't think it's important. This number is a critical unique identifier used by the financial institution to locate and verify the beneficiary upon the participant's death. Without it, finding the beneficiary can be difficult and slow down the distribution of assets. It's crucial to gather and accurately enter this information.
Using ambiguous terms like 'Friend,' 'Partner,' or 'Family' in the relationship field can create confusion. Legal relationships like 'Spouse,' 'Child,' or 'Parent' are clear, but others are not. This ambiguity can lead to challenges if multiple people claim to be the intended 'Friend.' It is best to use specific, legally recognized terms or, if not applicable, ensure the beneficiary's full legal name and SSN are perfectly accurate to avoid any doubt.
When naming a charity, people may use a common or abbreviated name (e.g., 'St. Jude's') instead of the full legal name ('St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Inc.'). They also frequently omit the charity's address and Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN). This lack of specific information can make it difficult for the plan administrator to identify the correct organization, potentially causing the donation to fail. Always look up the charity's full legal name and TIN before filling out the form.
Forms filled out by hand with poor or unclear handwriting can lead to significant data entry errors by the plan administrator. A misspelled name or a transposed number in an SSN or birth date can cause record mismatches and future processing failures. To prevent this, print clearly in block letters. Better yet, use a tool like Instafill.ai, which can convert a non-fillable PDF into a fillable version, allowing you to type directly into the fields for perfect clarity.
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