Wondering whether retirement accounts go through probate? In most cases, they don’t — thanks to beneficiary designations.. Retirement accounts like IRAs, 401(k)s and annuities typically bypass probate ...

Mindful of cumbersome rules and the potential for blended-family feuds, advisers can help take the lead on keeping the peace ...

Jump AI data shows 44% of meetings now cover wealth transfer. Learn five critical areas where beneficiary designations fail ...

Key Points 401(k) beneficiary designations override wills and transfer assets without probate. Without a named beneficiary or ...

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Standard retirement account beneficiary forms may not be flexible enough to ensure your money passes to family members according to your wishes. Naming a trust as the contingent beneficiary can help ...

Beneficiary decisions are a crucial yet often overlooked step when planning for retirement. Simply having a will does not mean your estate plan is fully covered. If you die without a will or your will ...

Despite efforts by plan sponsors and third-party administrators/plan recordkeepers to communicate to defined contribution retirement plan participants the importance of designating a beneficiary to ...

Dear Liz: I was perplexed by your column in which you pooh-poohed pay-on-death and transfer-on-death accounts in favor of trusts. But you gave no specific explanation. Rather, you said trusts ...

When an employee unexpectedly dies, companies often want to act quickly so as to minimize disruption to the deceased employee’s family. While that is an important goal, companies need to ensure that ...