Sometimes conflicting beneficiary designations for 401(k) plan assets can be tough to sort out when a plan participant dies. It took a verdict from the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the 9 th ...

Most parties know the importance of saving original wills. They are executed with great formality, notarized, and regarded as the final work in distribution of property. What many, if not most, people ...

It's yet another form in that seemingly endless pile of paperwork needed to complete the application. It's usually only one page and while most clients don't seem to think about it too much, others ...

Making sure affairs are in order and checking in from time to time is key when it comes to protecting loved ones. Ensuring your beneficiary information is updated is one way to help your loved ones ...

As a journalist covering personal finance, one of the estate planning mistakes I see most often involves not knowing how retirement accounts get inherited. Contrary to popular misconception, they are ...

The death of a loved one brings stress, despair and grief. It also often precipitates disagreements regarding the intended beneficiary of an annuity, life insurance policy or other account of the ...

It's easy to assume your will has the final say over who inherits your money, but that's not always true. Just one bank account beneficiary form can quietly override written estate plans and redirect ...

A participant in a 401(k), 403(b), or other account-style retirement plan may name a beneficiary to receive his or her account balance after the participant’s death. A recent case, Moore v. NCR Corp.