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.

French athlete and former Mountain Bike champion Aurelien Fontenoy makes a bungee jump on his bike from the Artuby bridge, the highest bridge in Europe with 182 m of height, near Comps-sur-Artuby on ...

If you’ve ever opened an IRA, CD or brokerage account — or bought an annuity, life insurance policy or shares of a mutual fund — you’ve been asked to name a beneficiary, or a person who will inherit ...

It is surprisingly easy and common to make mistakes when designating beneficiaries on retirement and investment accounts. While you may think it isn’t a big deal, mistakes with beneficiaries can be ...

Your 401(k) passes to the person you name on a beneficiary form—not through your will. Spouses and non-spouses face different rules and tax implications when inheriting a 401(k). Forgetting to update ...

Some financial assets, like bank accounts and retirement portfolios, are designed to pass from one person to another. This designated recipient is known as a “beneficiary,” meaning that you have named ...

Discretionary beneficiaries are individuals or entities eligible for trust, insurance, or retirement distributions based on ...

Your friendly neighborhood branch banker suggests that you change all your accounts to either joint with your kids or to name your kids as beneficiaries on all your accounts (a “pay on death” ...

I have written previously about the tax advantages associated with health savings accounts (HSAs). Contributions are tax-deductible regardless of income. Returns on contributions grow tax-deferred. As ...