Name your PBGC beneficiary 

Why naming a PBGC beneficiary is important

Designating a beneficiary ensures that any pension benefits owed to you after your death go to the right person. It's essential to complete this step to avoid delays in payment and ensure proper distribution

Types of PBGC Beneficiaries

• Survivor Beneficiary
  • Designated when you apply for PBGC benefits.
  • Applies if you choose an annuity that provides survivor benefits.
  • If married, your spouse is automatically the beneficiary unless they provide written, notarized consent to designate someone else
• Beneficiary for Money Owed at Death
  • Designated using PBGC Form 707 (if receiving payments) or Form 708 (if not receiving payments).
  • Receives any outstanding payments owed to you at the time of your death, such as missed checks or underpayments

Changing Your Beneficiary

• Survivor Beneficiary
  • Generally, you cannot change this beneficiary once you start receiving payments, especially if you have a joint-and-survivor annuity.
  • With a certain-and-continuous annuity, you can change the beneficiary anytime, but if married, your spouse must provide written, notarized consent.
• Beneficiary for Money Owed at Death
  • You can change this beneficiary at any time.
  • If your current beneficiary passes away, it is essential to designate a new one to ensure any owed funds are properly allocated.

Important Considerations

• No Beneficiary Designated
  • If you haven't designated a beneficiary, PBGC will pay any owed funds in the following order: spouse, children, parents, estate, next of kin.
• No Survivor Benefits Without Designation
  • If you're not married and haven't designated a survivor beneficiary, PBGC generally will not provide survivor benefits.
• Beneficiary for Money Owed at Death
  • Even if you don't have a survivor beneficiary, it's important to designate someone to receive any money PBGC owes you at death.

How to Designate or Change Your Beneficiary

• Online via MyPBA
  • Log in to your account to manage beneficiary designations.
• By Mail
  • Complete the appropriate form and mail it to PBGC:
    • Form 708: Designation of Beneficiary (not currently receiving pension benefits)
    • Form 707: Designation of Beneficiary for Benefits Owed at Death (currently receiving pension benefits)
    • Form 711: Change of Beneficiary for Certain & Continuous (C&C) Benefits Only
• By Phone
  • Call PBGC's Customer Contact Center to request a beneficiary designation form.

For more detailed information, visit the PBGC's Name Your PBGC Beneficiary FAQs.