In 1987, Jeffrey Rolison filed a handwritten form naming his partner Margaret the sole beneficiary of his work retirement account. They broke up. He passed away. And today, almost 37 years later ...

The husband and wife both pass away, leaving a 401(k) to their contingent beneficiaries, his son Peter and her daughter Beth, split 50/50. But if Beth is no longer living, under a per capita ...

Most retirement accounts — IRA’s, 401(k)’s, 403(b)’s and others pass by beneficiary designation and, if the designated beneficiary is not the decedent’s estate (most are not), then by ...

A May 2017 decision of the Federal Court for the Middle District of Florida should provide an impetus for employers with employer-sponsored retirement plans to reevaluate their beneficiary ...

The federal government’s 401(k)-style retirement plan changed some rules around contingent beneficiaries in 2022.

Beneficiary designations for 401(k)s override the contents of a will. Children who are still minors cannot inherit as direct beneficiaries. Beneficiary Designation and Allocation ...

Overlooking plan-specific rules: Each 401(k) plan may have unique rules regarding beneficiary designations and spousal consent, and ignoring them can lead to rejected changes or legal issues.

Having an unclear beneficiary on your retirement account means that it may be up to a probate court to decide who receives your IRA or 401(k) assets when you die. It is not, however, necessary to ...

401(k) Beneficiary Designations: The Basics When opening a 401(k), the plan participant can designate one or more beneficiaries to inherit the account. If they fail to do so, ...

Overlooking plan-specific rules: Each 401(k) plan may have unique rules regarding beneficiary designations and spousal consent, and ignoring them can lead to rejected changes or legal issues.