Designations are made by assigning a percentage of assets to the beneficiary or successor using a form that is entirely separate from your will or living trust. Designations come in several forms ...

A. We’re sorry to hear about your brother. The answer to your question depends on several issues. First, in determining how property is distributed at death, it is ...

Standard retirement account beneficiary forms may not be flexible enough to ensure your money passes to family members ...

Q: If I name a beneficiary on my bank account will this avoid probate when I die? – M.C., Orlando A: Yes. If you complete the beneficiary designation form, and your beneficiary is alive at the time of ...

Glenmede's Bethany Bryant on why and when to review beneficiary designations, and how those should align with an estate plan.

Most consumers are familiar with the beneficiary designation form they complete when opening an IRA or 401(k). The form designates who receives the asset if the account owner dies. Yet, these forms ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Matthew F. Erskine is a trusts and estates attorney. Along with a Will and a Trust, the most common documents used in estate ...

You can play a personal role in advancing liberty, fairness, and equality by providing now for a future gift through your retirement account. For many people, this is the easiest and most effective ...