Yes! You can use AI to fill out TIAA Beneficiary Designation Form

People often leave fields like the beneficiary's Social Security Number, date of birth, or full address blank, especially if they don't have the information readily available. This can significantly delay or complicate the process of locating the beneficiary and distributing the assets after your death. To avoid this, gather all required information before filling out the form and double-check each entry for completeness.

When naming multiple primary or contingent beneficiaries, the percentages assigned to each group must add up to exactly 100%. Filers frequently make simple math errors or forget to assign a percentage if they want an equal split, causing the form to be rejected. This delays the update, leaving the old designation in effect, which may not reflect your current wishes. Always verify that the percentages for your primary beneficiaries total 100%, and do the same for your contingent beneficiaries.

If you are married and designate someone other than your spouse as the primary beneficiary for 50% or more of the benefit, your spouse must sign a consent waiver in Section 6B. This section is often missed or completed incorrectly, which can invalidate your non-spousal designation, forcing the benefit to be paid to your spouse against your wishes. Ensure your spouse signs and dates the form correctly in the presence of a Notary Public or Plan Representative.

The spousal consent section requires the spouse's signature date to be on or after the account holder's signature date, and it must be witnessed by a Notary or Plan Representative. Common errors include the spouse signing before the account holder or the notary's information being incomplete. An invalid notarization will cause the entire beneficiary designation to be rejected, requiring you to restart the process.

In Section 2, filers must choose whether the designation applies to ALL contracts or ONLY specific ones. People may check 'ONLY' but fail to list all intended contract numbers, or they may check 'ALL' without realizing it overrides previous, specific designations. This can lead to your assets being distributed in a way you did not intend. Carefully review your accounts and decide if a universal or specific designation is appropriate, ensuring you list all relevant contract numbers if needed.

Filers often focus on primary beneficiaries and neglect to complete Section 4 for contingent beneficiaries. If all your primary beneficiaries predecease you and no contingent beneficiaries are named, the benefits will be paid to your estate by default. This can result in a lengthy and costly probate process for your heirs. Always name at least one contingent beneficiary to ensure a smoother transfer of assets if your primary choices are unable to inherit.

The form includes a checkbox to pass a deceased beneficiary's share to their children (a per stirpes designation). Many people either overlook this option or misunderstand its function, assuming it happens automatically. Failing to check this box means the deceased beneficiary's share will be divided among the other living primary beneficiaries, potentially disinheriting your grandchildren. Carefully consider for each beneficiary whether you want their share to go to their children if they pass away before you.

The form explicitly states that a 'Will' cannot be accepted as a beneficiary designation, yet people sometimes write 'Per my will' in the beneficiary field. This will invalidate the designation, as the form requires specific individuals, trusts, or organizations to be named. If you wish for the assets to be distributed according to your will, you must name your Estate as the beneficiary, though the form advises consulting an attorney as this may have negative consequences.

Since this is a paper form that is often handwritten, information can be illegible, or fields like middle initial, suffix, or full address can be left incomplete. This can cause processing delays or errors in identifying you and your beneficiaries. To prevent this, print clearly in black ink as instructed. AI-powered tools like Instafill.ai can convert the non-fillable PDF into a fillable version, ensuring all data is entered legibly and in the correct format.

A simple but critical error is forgetting to sign and date the form in Section 5. An unsigned form is invalid and will not be processed, leaving your previous beneficiary designation in place. Similarly, entering a date that conflicts with the spousal consent date can also cause rejection. Always perform a final review to ensure you have signed and correctly dated the form before submitting it.