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 ...

An employer’s retirement plan documents did not incorporate beneficiary designation forms in its language or appendices, so the forms did not govern the award of benefits, a court ruled. A federal ...

A federal district court has ruled for a second time on litigation arising from a dispute over verbal and written beneficiary designations. A thorny Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ...

Beneficiary designations are one of the major gaps in many retirement and estate plans. A recent court case shows the ...

Q: I am divorced with two adult children. My daughter has no children, while my son is married and has two children. Upon my death, I want my accounts divided equally between my children. If my son ...

There are several methods of transferring property at death. A transfer of probate property by a valid will or a deed of transfer will generally involve the assistance and advice of an attorney. While ...

Retirement accounts often represent a substantial portion of a client's estate, yet the beneficiary designation forms that control their distribution are too often treated as an afterthought. Estate ...

Changing the beneficiary of a 401(k) plan can involve specific requirements, particularly when it comes to spousal consent. In many cases, to protect your spouse's financial interests, you need ...