---
kind: "section"
citation: "5 C.F.R. § 870.909"
title: "5"
number: "870.909"
heading: "Designations and changes of beneficiary."
url: "https://uscodex.org/cfr/5/870.909"
---

# §870.909. Designations and changes of beneficiary.

- (a)
  - (1) **An assignment automatically cancels an insured individual's prior designation of beneficiary.** After making an assignment, an individual cannot designate a beneficiary; the right to designate beneficiaries transfers to the assignee.
  - (2) Each assignee may designate a beneficiary or beneficiaries to receive insurance benefits upon the death of the insured individual and may also later change the beneficiaries. An assignee may designate himself/herself the primary beneficiary and name another contingent beneficiary(ies) to receive insurance benefits if the assignee dies before the insured individual.
- (b) Benefits for assigned insurance are paid to the assignee(s) if the assignee(s) did not designate a beneficiary.
- (c) Benefits for assigned insurance are paid to an assignee's estate if the assignee dies before the insured individual and:
  - (1) The assignee (or the assignee's heirs) did not designate a beneficiary; or
  - (2) **The assignee's designated beneficiary dies before the insured individual.**
- (d) The provisions of [§ 870.802](/cfr/5/870.802.md) apply to designations of beneficiary made by assignees.

## Notes

### Authority

Authority: 5 U.S.C. 8716; Sec. 870.106 also issued under section 1110(b) of Pub. L. 116-92, 133 Stat. 1198 (5 U.S.C. 8702 note); Sec. 870.302(a)(3) also issued under sections 11202(f), 11232(e), and 11246(b) and (c) of Pub. L. 105-33, 111 Stat. 251, section 7(e) of Pub. L. 105-274, 112 Stat. 2419, and section 145 of Pub. L. 106-522, 114 Stat. 2472; Sec. 870.302(a)(3)(ii) also issued under section 153 of Pub. L. 104-134, 110 Stat. 1321; Secs. 870.302(b)(8), 870.601(a), and 870.602(b) also issued under Pub. L. 110-279, 122 Stat. 2604 (2 U.S.C. 2051); Subpart E also issued under 5 U.S.C. 8702(c); Sec. 870.601(d)(3) also issued under 5 U.S.C. 8706(d); Sec. 870.510 also issued under section 1622(b) of Pub. L. 104-106, 110 Stat. 521 (36 U.S.C. 5522); Sec. 870.703(e)(1) also issued under section 502 of Pub. L. 110-177, 121 Stat. 2542 (5 U.S.C. 8701 note); Sec. 870.705 also issued under 5 U.S.C. 8714b(c) and 8714c(c); and Subpart J also issued under section 599C of Pub. L. 101-513, 104 Stat. 2064 (5 U.S.C. 5561 note), as amended.

### Source

Source: 62 FR 48731, Sept. 17, 1997, unless otherwise noted.