The One-Page Form Most Busy Parents Miss
When was the last time you actually read the beneficiary designation on your 401(k) at your previous employer?
In May, I sent every family I work with a current readout of their beneficiary designations across every account I track for them. It was the highest-response email I sent all year.
For some families, everything was clean. For others, there were gaps we addressed that week. In this episode, I walk through what's actually on those forms, why a beneficiary designation overrides your will, and the technical points that catch busy working families off guard: ERISA spousal consent on 401(k)s, the HSA tax bomb for non-spouse beneficiaries, the SECURE Act 2.0 ten-year rule now in full enforcement, and the difference between per stirpes and per capita.
The action this week is simple. Pull up the beneficiary designation on one account, any account, and just read it. If you can't find it, that's the result. Then set a recurring calendar reminder once a year to do the same for every account in the household.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES YOU MAY LIKE
1 Big Idea to Think About
Your beneficiary designation overrides your will. The form, not the estate plan, determines who actually receives your retirement accounts, your HSA, and your life insurance.
1 Way You Can Apply This
Pull up the beneficiary form for any account and read it. Then set a recurring calendar reminder to do a full beneficiary review across every household account once a year on a fixed date.
1 Question to Ask
If I died this week, would the person currently named on each of my retirement and insurance accounts still be the one I intend to receive those assets?
Resources Featured in This Episode:
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