Conn. Gen. Stat. § 36a-296 (2025)

(a)(1) No bank, Connecticut credit union, or federal credit union shall establish any deposit or share account in which deposits or shares are to be held by one natural person in trust for another natural person unless the depositor or share account holder provides the bank, Connecticut credit union, or federal credit union with the name and a residential address for the beneficiary, upon establishing the deposit or share account or thereafter at the request of the bank, Connecticut credit union, or federal credit union. The depositor or share account holder may also provide the bank, Connecticut credit union, or federal credit union with a writing signed by the depositor or share account holder specifying the terms of the trust under which such deposit or share account is to be held. Unless such writing specifies to the contrary, it shall be conclusively presumed that the depositor or share account holder intends to create a trust of all funds credited to the deposit or share account from time to time upon the following terms: (A) The depositor or share account holder during the depositor's or share account holder's life may withdraw, or authorize charges against, such funds; (B) if the depositor or share account holder survives the named beneficiary, the named beneficiary's death shall terminate the trust and title to the deposit or share account shall thereupon vest in the depositor or share account holder free and clear of the trust; (C) if the named beneficiary survives the depositor or share account holder, the depositor's or share account holder's death shall terminate the trust and title to the deposit account or share account, subject to any membership restrictions for Connecticut credit unions or federal credit unions, shall thereupon vest in the named beneficiary free and clear of the trust. (2) Any bank, Connecticut credit union, or federal credit union shall be fully protected in making payment of any moneys credited to such deposit or share account in accordance with the terms of such signed writing or, in the event such writing does not specify to the contrary, in accordance with the presumptions contained in this subsection that are applicable, and the title of any person to any moneys credited to such deposit or share account and the effect of such signed writing with respect to the deposit or share account or, in the event such writing does not specify to the contrary, the effect of the presumptions contained in this subsection shall not be denied, abridged or in any way affected because such signed writing was not executed in accordance with, or otherwise fails to comply with, the laws of this state prescribing the requirements to effect a valid testamentary disposition of property or because of any absence of delivery or compliance with other requirements to effect a valid gift or transfer in trust. (3) The provisions of this subsection do not apply to deposit or share accounts accompanied by a writing of the type described in subsection (b) of this section or to any deposit or share account opened primarily for business or professional purposes, including, but not limited to, escrow accounts, trust accounts and clients' funds accounts.

(b) In the case of a deposit or share account established or maintained with a bank, Connecticut credit union, or federal credit union by a trustee under a will or trust agreement or under the terms of some other written document, or by a trustee pursuant to statute or order of a court, the trustee shall provide the bank, Connecticut credit union, or federal credit union with a writing identifying such will, agreement, other written document, statute or order; and any moneys credited to a deposit or share account with respect to which the trustee has filed such a writing shall be paid only to or upon the order of such trustee or of the successor trustee. If the trustee is serving in such capacity under a will, trust agreement or other written document, a certified copy of such document shall be filed by the depositor or share account holder if at any time requested by the bank, Connecticut credit union, or federal credit union but such bank, Connecticut credit union, or federal credit union shall not be charged with notice, actual or constructive, of the contents of such will, trust agreement, or other written document. Such bank, Connecticut credit union, or federal credit union shall be fully protected in paying over any moneys credited to such deposit or share account to or upon the order of the trustee establishing or maintaining the deposit or share account or the successor trustee and shall be under no duty to inquire into the application of funds so paid.

(c) (1) Subsection (a) of this section applies to all deposit accounts governed by its provisions established (A) on or after June 13, 1963, and (B) prior to that date if the depositor when establishing such deposit account or at any time thereafter provides a writing meeting the requirements of subsection (a) of this section. Subsection (b) of this section applies to all deposit accounts governed by its provisions whether such deposit accounts were established prior to June 13, 1963, or are established on or after that date.

(2) Subsection (a) of this section applies to all share accounts governed by its provisions which are established at Connecticut credit unions and federal credit unions (A) on or after October 1, 2001, and (B) prior to that date if the share account holder when establishing such share account or at any time thereafter provides a writing meeting the requirements of subsection (a) of this section. Subsection (b) of this section applies to all share accounts governed by its provisions whether such share accounts were established prior to October 1, 2001, or are established on or after that date.

(1949, Rev., S. 5829; 1961, P.A. 306; 1963, P.A. 417; February, 1965, P.A. 95, S. 1; 1967, P.A. 461, S. 32; 1969, P.A. 504, S. 16; P.A. 87-569, S. 4; P.A. 92-12, S. 42; P.A. 94-122, S. 137, 340; P.A. 01-6, S. 1; P.A. 03-196, S. 8.)

History: 1961 act specified presumptions and effect of deposits in trust; 1963 act reorganized Subdiv. indicators in Subsec. (1), adding Subdiv. (c) re applicability to deposits and incorporating part of former Subsec. (2), inserted new Subsec. (2) and revised effective date provisions (formerly in Subsec. (2)) to reflect re organization of section and new provisions; 1965 act rephrased paragraph 1 of Subsec. (1)(a); 1967 act deleted references to “savings departments” of state bank and trust companies; 1969 act included national banking associations in purview of section; P.A. 87-569 amended the section to extend the application of the provisions to savings and loan associations; P.A. 92-12 redesignated Subsecs., Subdivs. and Subparas. and made technical changes; P.A. 94-122 clarified procedures for certain trust accounts and made technical changes, effective January 1, 1995; Sec. 36-110 transferred to Sec. 36a-296 in 1995; P.A. 01-6 added provisions re Connecticut and federal credit unions and share accounts throughout, made a technical change for purposes of gender neutrality in Subsec. (a) and amended Subsec. (c) by designating existing provisions as Subdiv. (1), making technical changes therein, and adding Subdiv. (2) re applicability of section to share accounts; P.A. 03-196 added references to share account holders, effective July 1, 2003.

Annotations to former section 36-110:

No valid trust can arise where sole ownership of the funds on deposit is in the person named as trustee. 146 C. 496. Cited. 172 C. 292. Effectuates intent of depositor to make a “poor man's will” while retaining sole right to the moneys during his lifetime. 176 C. 663. Beneficiaries of savings account trusts created under statute acquire no interest in the trusts during lifetime of depositor unless latter by unequivocal act renders them irrevocable. 186 C. 311. Cited. 226 C. 51.

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