<prompt> Human: When I was a wee lad my wealthy grandparents set me up a college fund I think its either a 529 or a Coverdell but Im not 100 sure to the tune of roughly 200,000. I am now 20 years old and have a stable job and am not in college, nor am I planning to go back.When my grandparents died I assume that the account owner became my father, with whom I dont have the best relationship. I think you can see where the problem lies. My question is: What can I, as the beneficiary of the account not the owner do to assure that the funds in that account that were meant for me go to me? I dont necessarily believe my father will do anything malicious with the funds, but I want to make sure that Im receiving them. I dont have any of the paperwork or any details of the account, because he refuses to discuss it. How do I find the account just knowing that its out there? Im pretty sure I know which bank its in  <response>: With a 529, the beneficiary does not actually have legal right to the money. The account owner does. And they can change who the beneficiary is at their discretion.So if you are not the account owner, then there is nothing you can do to get the money unless the account owner decides to give it to you.Now, finding out who is the actual account owner is important, because it is not necessarily your father. There is a place in every 529 to designate a successor owner. This may have been your father, it may have been you, it may have been someone else entirely. If your grandparents declined to name a successor owner, then it may have passed to the beneficiary you by default.So only if you were named the successor owner or possibly if no successor owner was named, would it be possible for you to control the money. If anyone else is the successor owner, then you are out luck with regards to dictating where that money goes. 