Missouri Revised Statutes Title XXXI. Trusts and Estates of Decedents and Persons Under Disability § 461.028. Registration of property, including accounts and securities in beneficiary form, effect

1. Property may be held or registered in beneficiary form by including in the name in which the property is held or registered a direction to transfer the property on death of the owner to a beneficiary designated by the owner.

2. Property is registered in beneficiary form by showing on the account record, security certificate or instrument evidencing ownership of the property the name of the owner, and the estate by which two or more joint owners hold the property, followed in substance by the words “transfer on death to ․․․․․․․․․․ (name of beneficiary)”. In lieu of the words “transfer on death to” the words “pay on death to” or the abbreviation “TOD” or “POD” may be used.

3. A transfer on death direction may only be placed on an account record, security certificate or instrument evidencing ownership of property by the transferring entity or a person authorized by the transferring entity.

4. A transfer on death direction transfers the owner's interest in the property to the designated beneficiary, effective on the owner's death, if the property is registered in beneficiary form prior to the death of the owner, or if the request to make the transfer on death direction is delivered in proper form to the transferring entity prior to the owner's death.

5. An account record, security certificate or instrument evidencing ownership of property that contains a transfer on death direction written as part of the name in which the property is held or registered, is conclusive evidence in the absence of fraud, duress, undue influence or evidence of clerical mistake by the transferring entity that the direction was regularly made by the owner and accepted by the transferring entity, and was not revoked or changed prior to the death giving rise to the transfer; and the transferring entity shall have no obligation to retain the original writing, if any, by which the owner caused the property to be registered in beneficiary form, more than six months after the transferring entity has mailed or delivered to the owner, at the address shown on the registration, an account statement, certificate or instrument that shows the manner in which the property is held or registered in beneficiary form.