Beneficiaries & Titling

Payable on Death (POD)

A designation on a bank account that transfers the balance directly to a named person when you die, without probate.

POD applies to bank accounts; the equivalent for brokerage accounts is usually called transfer on death, or TOD. Both let an account pass directly to a named person.

These are simple to set up and easy to forget. Because they bypass your will entirely, they should be reviewed alongside the rest of your plan rather than in isolation.

Related Terms

Beneficiary Designation

The form on file with a financial institution naming who receives an account when you die. It passes outside your will — and overrides it.

Probate

The court process that validates a will, settles debts, and transfers what someone owned in their own name after they die.

Keep going

Estate planning guides

In-depth, plain-English explanations of trusts, wills, and probate.

Starter checklist

The six steps to getting a plan started, free and printable.

Plain-English estate planning, weekly

Short, useful explanations of terms like payable on death (pod) — and the gaps most plans leave open. Free, no spam.

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