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 ...

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 ...

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.

Richard has an adult son from his first marriage and two pre-teen daughters from his second. The other day, while checking his 401(k) balance, Richard was struck by this thought: “Who would get ...

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.