If you're signing up for a life insurance policy or have an account with a financial institution, there's a chance you'll ...

If you die intestate (without a will), your possessions become part of your estate, and it is left to the legal system to sort things out. For your heirs, this means more time wasted, more money down ...

Adam B. Frankel is a personal finance writer and financial adviser with over 30 years of experience. When he’s not managing money in the stock market, he teaches financial topics and other core ...

Many assets pass by beneficiary designation — which is the ability to fill out a form with the financial company holding the asset and name who will inherit the asset upon your death.

Life insurance beneficiaries aren't limited to people. You can also name charities or non-profit organizations as primary or contingent beneficiaries. Designating a life insurance beneficiary ...

I recently came across an IRA beneficiary document, as I sometimes do, that names the estate as the beneficiary. While there can be some valid reasons for this, 95% of the time this is a really ...

or an educational institution can be designated beneficiaries. You can also name your estate as the policy beneficiary. There’s a lot of flexibility in how you designate beneficiaries.

Life changes such as marriage, divorce, and the passing of a loved one can leave outdated beneficiary information on accounts ...