Understand how your 401(k) is handled after your passing, including beneficiary rules and tax implications, to ensure your financial legacy is preserved.

Naming beneficiaries is the easiest way to make sure your loved ones receive your retirement account with the least hassle ...

A life insurance beneficiary, which can be a person, trust, estate or charity, receives the death benefit from a policy. You can name one or more people as your beneficiary. It’s important to promptly ...

It’s my understanding that under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, if a 401(k) participant is married, their spouse is their automatic primary beneficiary. What happens if the participant ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Bob Carlson researches all facets of retirement finances. Beneficiary designations are one of the major gaps in many retirement ...

Most people assume their will is the final word on who gets what. In reality, some of the biggest assets in a household can pass to someone else entirely, simply because a beneficiary form was filled ...

When was the last time you checked your beneficiary designations? Imagine spending years building your savings and crafting an estate plan, only to have your assets pass to the wrong person. Often, ...

401(k) beneficiary designations governed by ERISA override wills, trusts, and divorce decrees, meaning an ex-spouse listed as beneficiary receives the full account balance upon death regardless of ...

When you open a retirement account or buy a life insurance policy, you’re asked to name a beneficiary. It might seem like just another form to fill out, but this simple step can affect your family’s ...

After a divorce, most people assume that updating their benefits is as simple as sending a quick message to HR. A recent federal appeals court decision demonstrates just how costly that assumption can ...

The U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals awarded a deceased retirement plan participant’s assets to his ex-wife, ruling that his faxed beneficiary change request did not meet the Packaging Corp. of ...