A payable on death (POD) bank account designates a beneficiary to receive the account's assets upon the owner's death, bypassing probate. POD accounts are also known as Totten trusts. Here's a summary of POD accounts: Benefits POD accounts are easier to maintain than trusts or wills, and they can increase FDIC coverage at a single institution. Drawbacks Beneficiaries can't access the money while the owner is alive, and changing the beneficiary may not be possible. If the beneficiary dies before