Can I name beneficiaries on an individual brokerage account?
Usually yes. Most custodians offer transfer-on-death registration on an individual brokerage account, which lets the account pass directly to the people you name when you die, generally without going through probate.
Availability and mechanics depend on state law and on your custodian's own forms and policies, so the answer is confirmed with the custodian rather than assumed.
What a designation does not do is replace an estate plan. It directs one account. Everything else you own is still directed by how it is registered and by your legal documents.
Reviewed by Bay Area Wealth Advisors. Last reviewed 2026-09-16. Educational information only — not individualized financial, tax or legal advice.