Your 401(k) doesn’t just disappear when you die. Here’s how it’s transferred, who gets it, the tax impact, and why beneficiary updates matter more than you think.

Parents who have spent a lifetime saving often want a simple way to help a daughter pay bills, avoid court delays, and ...

Elder law attorney Harry Margolis explains why beneficiary designations don’t protect assets and where Medicaid estate ...

The costliest mistake people make with their IRAs doesn’t involve how they invest their funds or even their savings strategy. No, the single greatest blunder often goes undetected because, as many no ...

If you die without naming a beneficiary for your 401(k) account, the rules for your retirement plan will likely require that funds in the account be considered part of your estate and have to go ...

Adam Hayes, Ph.D., CFA, is a financial writer with 15+ years Wall Street experience as a derivatives trader. Besides his extensive derivative trading expertise, Adam is an expert in economics and ...

Being second in line comes with some rights -- and responsibilities. Estate planning is an important part of ensuring that your assets go where you want them to go in the event of your death, and many ...

We pay good money to estate-planning attorneys to draft trusts and wills. We deliberate over which loved ones are best suited to be guardians for minor children in case of catastrophe. We have ...

You can create a spendthrift trust with estate planning software, but using an advisor or attorney might be safer. Many, or all, of the products featured on this page are from our advertising partners ...

Naming a beneficiary is an essential step in estate planning that allows individuals to determine how their assets will be distributed in the event of their death. By understanding the different types ...

High and persistent inflation over the past couple of years has caused interest rates to rise, and while that's made borrowing costs more expensive, it's also helped savers earn a higher return on ...

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 ...