To change your name on an Empower retirement account, complete the Empower Personal Information Change Request Form, attach a copy of a document that proves your new name, sign the form by hand, and submit it either through empowermyretirement.com or by mail to Empower’s processing center in Boston.1Empower. Personal Information Change Request Governmental 457(b) Plan A name change is one of the simpler updates the form handles: it does not require notarization or employer approval, but it will be rejected if you skip the supporting document or sign electronically.
Documents Empower Accepts as Proof of Your New Name
Section B of the form lists the documents Empower will accept for a name change. Attach a legible copy of any one of the following:1Empower. Personal Information Change Request Governmental 457(b) Plan
- Birth certificate
- Marriage certificate
- Divorce decree
- Court order
- Passport
- Military ID
The copy needs to be clear enough that your full name is readable. Blurry scans or copies with cropped or shaded text are a common reason forms get sent back. If your name change comes from a marriage or divorce, the marriage certificate or divorce decree is usually the cleanest choice because it directly links your old name to your new one.
Filling Out the Form for a Name Change
Section A: Your Current Account Information
Section A identifies you on the account as it exists today. The form instructs you to “provide Name, Social Security Number and Date of Birth as it currently appears on the account.”1Empower. Personal Information Change Request Governmental 457(b) Plan For a name change, that means your old name goes here, not the new one. Save the new name for Section B.
If your account has an extension number (assigned when funds were transferred to a beneficiary after a death, to an alternate payee after a divorce, or when you hold multiple accounts), include it. Section A also asks whether you have a retirement account with a previous employer or an IRA you would like to consolidate. That question is optional and unrelated to your name change; leave it blank if you are not interested in a rollover conversation.
Section B: Your New Name
Check the box for a name change and write your new legal name in the fields provided. Use black or blue ink. Empower does not accept forms filled out in pencil or other colors.1Empower. Personal Information Change Request Governmental 457(b) Plan If you need other updates at the same time, such as a new address, you can check additional boxes in Section B and request them on the same form. Keep in mind that some other change types (address, contact information, Social Security number) carry extra signature requirements that a name change on its own does not.
Section C: Signature
Sign and date Section C by hand. For a name change, your signature alone is enough. Notarization is not required, and your plan administrator does not need to sign.1Empower. Personal Information Change Request Governmental 457(b) Plan
Electronic signatures are not accepted. Typing your name into a PDF signature field, or using a digital signing tool, will cause a significant delay or outright rejection. Print the form, sign it in pen, then scan or mail it.
By signing, you affirm that the information is true and correct and acknowledge that submitting a false or fraudulent claim carries criminal and civil penalties.
Where to Get the Form and How to Submit It
The most reliable way to get the correct version is through your employer’s HR department or benefits portal. Empower customizes the form by plan type, and different plan structures such as 401(k), 403(b), and governmental 457(b) may have slightly different versions with plan-specific fields. HR can often give you a copy already filled in with your plan’s name and number.
You can also log in at empowermyretirement.com and look in the forms or document upload section. If you cannot find it online, call Empower and ask them to send or email it.
Section D of the form lists three ways to submit:1Empower. Personal Information Change Request Governmental 457(b) Plan
- Upload electronically through empowermyretirement.com using the “Upload Documents” link after logging in.
- Regular mail to Empower, PO Box 56025, Boston, MA 02205-6025.
- Express mail to Empower, 8515 E. Orchard Road, Greenwood Village, CO 80111. Empower does not accept hand-delivered forms at this address.
Whichever route you choose, make sure your supporting document is attached. A name change submitted without a marriage certificate, divorce decree, court order, or other listed document will not be processed. If you mail the form, a trackable shipping method gives you proof of delivery.
The form says changes take effect “within a reasonable amount of time after good order receipt” without specifying an exact timeline.2Empower. Empower Personal Information Change Request Form Log in periodically after submitting to confirm your new name appears on the account. If it has not posted after a couple of weeks, call Empower’s participant service line at 855-756-4738 for workplace retirement plans, or 800-695-4952 for government, healthcare, education, and faith-based plans.3Empower. Contact Empower
Review Your Beneficiary Designation at the Same Time
Changing your name on the account does not change who inherits it. If your name change is tied to a marriage or divorce, this is the moment to check your beneficiary form. Under ERISA-covered plans (most private-sector retirement plans), a married participant’s spouse is the default beneficiary, and naming anyone else requires written spousal consent. When you remarry, any prior spouse’s consent to a non-spouse beneficiary is no longer valid: the new spouse becomes the default, and a fresh consent is required if you want to designate someone else.4U.S. Department of Labor. FAQs about Retirement Plans and ERISA The common failure pattern is updating a name after a divorce while leaving an ex-spouse listed as beneficiary, which then controls the account at death regardless of the name on it.
Mistakes That Delay Name Changes
Two errors cause most of the rejected name-change submissions:
- Signing electronically. The form requires a handwritten signature in black or blue ink. Any digital signature will fail.
- Submitting the form without the supporting document. A name change requires one of the listed proofs (birth certificate, marriage certificate, divorce decree, court order, passport, or military ID), and Empower will not process the request without it.
One more trap: putting the new name in Section A. Section A is for the information currently on file. Keep the old name there, and put the new name in Section B. Getting that order wrong forces Empower to treat the request as mismatched identification and send it back.