GP 55229 Page 2 of 2 08/2008
Minor Beneficiary − UTMA Instructions − Please Note the Following:
1. You may wish to consult with your attorney about the completion of this beneficiary designation. The following comments
are of a general nature and are not intended to be legal advice, or to substitute for legal advice.
2. Naming a custodian and substitutes. A custodian must be named in the blank following the words "paid to" in the
designation. It is strongly recommended that you also name at least one (and preferably two or more) substitute custodians
on the lines provided for that purpose. A substitute custodian would serve if, at the time of payment, the first-named
custodian is deceased or otherwise unable or unwilling to serve. The custodian (and each substitute) listed on the
beneficiary designation should be either: (1) an individual who is now an adult; or (2) a trust company, such as a financial
institution with a trust department.
3. Specifying the state law. You may specify that the custodianship be established under the Iowa Uniform Transfers to
Minors Act, regardless of where the minor lives. Principal Life Insurance Company is based in Iowa and therefore may
transfer funds to a custodian in any state for the benefit of a minor in any state if the beneficiary designation specifies that
the transfer shall be made under the Iowa Uniform Transfers to Minors Act. The Iowa Uniform Transfers to Minors Act
defines a "minor" as an individual who has not reached age 21.
Alternatively, you may specify that the custodianship be established under the law of whatever state the beneficiary may
live in at the time of payment. If this happens to be a state that has not enacted the Uniform Transfers to Minors Act, the
designation specifies that the custodianship will be established under the Iowa Uniform Transfers to Minors Act. (As of
early 1996, all but 5 states had enacted the Uniform Transfers to Minors Act.) If there is a possibility that the minor
beneficiary will live in California or Ohio at the time of payment, you may wish to fill in one or both of the blanks specifying
the age at which the custodianship is to terminate (see below). The ability to specify such an age in the beneficiary
designation is a unique feature of the Ohio and California Uniform Transfers to Minors Acts.
The state specified in the designation may affect the age at which the beneficiary will have control of the money. Under the
Uniform Transfers to Minors Act as enacted in many states, a custodianship created pursuant to a beneficiary designation
terminates when the beneficiary reaches the legal age of majority (usually 18), even though custodianships created
pursuant to a lifetime gift may terminate at a later age. However, under the Iowa Uniform Transfers to Minors Act, and in a
few states, a custodianship created pursuant to a beneficiary designation continues until the beneficiary reaches age 21.
As noted above, custodian nominations under the California Uniform Transfers to Minors Act may specify an age (up to the
age of 25) for the custodianship to terminate. If no age is specified, the California custodianship will terminate at age 18.
Custodianships under the Ohio Transfers to Minors Act terminate at age 21 unless the beneficiary designation specifies
that it will terminate at age 18, 19 or 20.
