Beneficiary Designations: Who will get your money?
Although not a pleasant topic, it is an important one – Who is the named beneficiary of your retirement account should you pass away?
When you enrolled in your retirement plan, you were asked to select a beneficiary to receive your retirement plan assets in the event of your death. This step may be more important than you think, and it is imperative that you keep this information up to date.
Single
If you are single, your assets go to the designated beneficiary, no matter what your will states. This also includes other agreements and court orders. If you fail to designate a beneficiary, the terms of the plan document govern the disposition of your account. Some plan documents provide that in the absence of a beneficiary designation your estate is the beneficiary, while others use a hierarchy or relatives who are the beneficiaries. Because of the variances in plan documents, it is important that a financial professional review the terms of your plan document when faced with determining who the beneficiary is if no beneficiary is designated.
Married
If you are married, your spouse automatically becomes the beneficiary of your retirement plan. Should you want to name an alternate, you and your spouse may have to sign a waiver in front of a notary.
Separation/Divorce
If you divorce and do not change the beneficiary on file, your ex-spouse will remain the beneficiary of your retirement plan account. This means that if you pass away, he or she will receive your money. This holds true regardless of the existence of children and regardless of the existence of a will which states otherwise. A common occurrence following a divorce is when you designate children as beneficiaries. If you remarry and pass away while married to your second spouse, the second spouse is automatically your beneficiary unless your new spouse consents to your children being designated as beneficiaries.
Death may not be prominent on your mind, but it is inevitable. It is important to be prepared and organized to make sure your wishes are fulfilled.
To learn more about the importance of keeping your beneficiaries up to date, contact MCF at retire@mcfadvisors.com or 859.967.0990
RETURN TO PARTICIPANT INSIGHTS
IMPORTANT DISCLOSURE:
MCF Advisors, LLC (“MCF”) is an SEC-registered investment adviser. Please remember that past performance may not be indicative of future results. Different types of investments involve varying degrees of risk, and there can be no assurance that the future performance of any specific investment, investment strategy, or product (including the investments and/or investment strategies recommended or undertaken by MCF), or any non-investment related content, made reference to directly or indirectly in this presentation will be profitable, equal any corresponding indicated historical performance level(s), be suitable for your portfolio or individual situation, or prove successful. Due to various factors, including changing market conditions and/or applicable laws, the content may no longer be reflective of current opinions or positions. Moreover, you should not assume that any discussion or information contained in this presentation serves as the receipt of, or as a substitute for, personalized investment advice from MCF. To the extent that a reader has any questions regarding the applicability of any specific issue discussed herein to his/her/its individual situation, he/she/it is encouraged to consult with the professional advisor of his/her/its choosing. MCF is neither a law firm nor a certified public accounting firm and no portion of the presentation content should be construed as legal or accounting advice. A copy of MCF’s current written disclosure statement discussing our advisory services and fees is available upon request. If you are an MCF client, please remember to contact MCF in writing, if there are any changes in your personal/financial situation or investment objectives for the purpose of reviewing / evaluating / revising our previous recommendations and/or services. The scope of the services to be provided depends upon the needs of the client and the terms of the engagement