Estate Planning Series* (4 of 7): Review your Beneficiaries

You may have written a Will and have other documents that line out your wishes,

but they may not be all-inclusive. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

Simply, check the following to be sure your beneficiaries are up-to-date:

Check your retirement and insurance accounts (these typically outweigh what is written in a will, but best to be sure you have everything lined out the way you need it)
Make sure the right people get your stuff. For example, sometimes people forget they have someone on a bank account or insurance policy (like an ex-spouse), as a beneficiary. So check yours today.
Never leave the beneficiary sections blank. If you have any sort of account where thi was left blank, it may go to probate, and will then be distributed based on the state’s rules for who gets the property. (This can take a long time to resolve and usually ends up resulting in the beneficiary only getting a fraction of what was supposed to go to them).
BACK-UP BENEFICIARIES-Going along with not leaving beneficiary sections blank, it is important to have back-up beneficiaries lined out.

*PLEASE NOTE:

This article is meant to provide background information and should not be considered legal guidance.

For more about our Estate Planning Team nd Services, reach out to us today:

Mickie Giacomini, Realtor®