You’ve been an independent adult for a while now. During this time, you’ve likely acquired a variety of assets such as bank accounts, retirement accounts, brokerage accounts, frequent flyer miles, a passport, credit cards, TSA pre-check, loyalty points, a home, a vehicle and insurance policies. All these assets are titled in your maiden name. As you and your fiancé make plans for your wedding and your future together, you’ll also decide what your last names will be after the marriage.
Like many of you, my husband and I made the decision for me to take my husband’s last name. Once the honeymoon was over, I was faced with the reality that all of my assets and accounts, including online profiles, needed to be updated with my new last name. Being somewhat familiar with this process, I chose to do it on my own but I did not know the journey I would be on! Here are some things I wish someone had told me before I started the time-consuming task of changing my name.
You can skip this part if you sell your home with a closing date before your wedding date. However, suppose you, like me, stay in your home and have a sale closing after you are married. Each state has its own rules about selling as a married person), so you’ll want to check with your state. If you live in Minnesota, you must sign the closing documents in your new name, your spouse also has to sign, and the check for the sale proceeds must be made payable to both of you, in your new last name. That would have been fine if I had already made the changes to my bank account! We were unable to e-sign any documents because my Social Security number was not yet associated with my new last name. We could not make an electronic deposit; therefore, the bank mailed us the proceeds check, which could not be deposited into our joint bank account until the accounts were updated. Takeaway: Schedule a closing date before your wedding or many weeks after your wedding.
You will have an uncertified marriage certificate after your legal ceremony. Usually, the officiant is responsible for mailing or delivering the signed marriage license to the county clerk’s office, and once recorded, you will receive a certified copy of the marriage certificate. You can request (and pay for) additional certified copies. I recommend having at least 3 copies. You cannot change anything related to your finances until you have this certificate and then get your new, updated Social Security card. Some organizations require you to submit a certified marriage certificate. For example, you need to send in a certified copy of your marriage certificate to update a U.S. passport. I recommend that you always keep a copy in a fireproof safe with other important documents.
You cannot make changes with banks, financial institutions or your driver’s license until you have updated your Social Security account. Once you have your certified marriage certificate, you can complete an online request/application and make an appointment (at least in the state of Minnesota) to visit the local Social Security office in person. Each state has its own protocol for this. Visit the ssa.gov website to check your state’s process. Once you receive your new card you can start making other important changes.
Most state license and vehicle registration agencies allow you to schedule an appointment online. Once you have your updated Social Security card, schedule an appointment at the DMV and gather all the necessary documentation to update your name and address (if applicable) on your driver’s license and vehicle registration. You’ll save time if you schedule your appointment at the DMV and your passport photo appointment back-to-back. At a minimum you’ll need your new Social Security card and a certified copy of your marriage certificate (or other court documents if you change your name for other reasons). Fill out the appropriate form for your new passport (the process varies depending on when your current passport was issued and when your name was legally changed). I completed my appointments on the same day but waited to mail my passport application until I received an additional certified copy of my marriage certificate since I was uncomfortable sending my only copy in the mail.
Each banking institution has its own requirements to change your name – call and ask what documents are required and set an appointment with a banker to help you with the process. I was required to provide documentation of my new name and address, along with our home insurance document. My employer was able to update my name and address on my health savings account, so I had documentation to provide evidence of the updates. At the same time, we added my husband to my accounts so we would have joint accounts. We were finally able to deposit the check for proceeds from the sale of my home!
Let your employer know about your name change and provide a copy of your certified document. They should be able to update current employer accounts (retirement, health savings, payroll, life insurance, etc.) for you. If you work with a financial planner, they can provide the documents you’ll need to make the changes to your name. This is a good time to consider updating your designated beneficiaries. If your accounts are not consolidated, you’ll need to work with each custodian to make the updates.
Most companies require an electronic copy of the certified marriage certificate for the name change and will process it quickly. Have a scanned copy of your certified marriage certificate stored in a place that is easy to access because you will be uploading that document to many sites. Most of these updates can be done online without much hassle. However, one company did require me to visit a local branch to make the update. Thankfully, it was a convenient location.
When I went through this process myself, I didn’t have a resource that laid things out in one place for me. Even today, I occasionally visit a website (AMC Theaters, for example) and realize that I haven’t updated my last name yet. Thankfully, the AMC folks don’t require a copy of your marriage certificate to update your profile. If you or someone you know is changing their name, I hope these tips will make the process a little easier and less time-consuming for you.