A variety of financial accounts, including retirement plans and life insurance, allow individuals to designate beneficiaries. Whoever is named on a beneficiary designation form will receive those ...

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 ...

Your will is the backbone of a strong, adaptable estate plan that ensures what you leave behind goes to your selected ...

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 ...

Maybe you’ve heard of “The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning.” It’s a guide to proactively downsizing your stuff while you’re still alive. Doing so spares your heirs the mess of doing it themselves ...