All About Designating Beneficiaries in Estate Planning
Choosing carefully and updating beneficiaries as your life changes, such as after a divorce, are crucial when planning your estate.
If you have ever opened a bank account, have a life insurance policy or have started planning your estate, you’ve probably been asked to name a beneficiary or beneficiaries for that account. A beneficiary is a person or entity who receives your assets once you’ve passed away. Designating a beneficiary ensures your assets go where you want them to once you’re gone. But it’s not enough to designate a beneficiary — it’s important to understand how the process works so that you can make the right choices for you and your family.
When designating a beneficiary, there are a few rules you’ll want to keep in mind. First, it’s important to note that a beneficiary has access to an account, or asset, only once you have passed away. For example, let’s say you decide to name your eldest child as a beneficiary over your bank account. That child will not be able to access the account until after you’ve died. This means they can’t get into the account to withdrawal money to help pay their own bills or fund that brand-new car.
Be aware of age restrictions on beneficiaries
As you’re making your choice, it’s also important to note that a beneficiary must be at least 18 years old to collect funds or assets. This may not be a concern for you when you’re young, but once you get older and have a family of your own, you might decide you want to name your children as beneficiaries. In most cases, this works well for families, but it can become an issue, especially if you die before your kids turn 18.
From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance
Become a smarter, better informed investor. Subscribe from just $107.88 $24.99, plus get up to 4 Special Issues
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Let’s say you name your child as a beneficiary over your $1 million life insurance policy, but you die when the child is only 10 years old. To keep a 10-year-old from having access to that kind of cash, you might include specific rules and restrictions in your plan. Maybe you want the child to use the money for college once he or she turns 18, or maybe you want them to use it to purchase their first home. Those are things you must have documented as part of your estate plan.
A beneficiary has a lot of power in the eyes of the law, so you want to make your choice very carefully and be sure to update designations as your life changes. That’s because in most cases, a beneficiary designation overrides a will. For example, let’s say you recently got remarried. You’ve updated your will to include your new spouse but forgot to update the beneficiary over your retirement account, leaving your ex in charge. If you were to die before making that change, your ex would be entitled to those funds.
You can have more than one beneficiary
When it comes to planning your estate, you’ll want to be sure to designate beneficiaries for each of your accounts. When making your choice, keep in mind that beneficiaries aren’t limited to one person or entity. You also have the option to designate secondary beneficiaries to your accounts in case your primary beneficiary is unable or unwilling to accept your assets.
Despite how you choose to go about it, the bottom line is that you need to name at least one. That’s because any accounts without a beneficiary must go through probate court, which can be a very lengthy and difficult process for your loved ones.
Designating beneficiaries ensures your assets go where you want them to, so be sure to take your time when you make your decision.
Related Content
- What Happens if You Die Without a Will?
- Is Your Estate Ready if You Experience Cognitive Decline?
- Estate Planning Checklist: Five Tasks to Prioritize
- One Way to Secure Your Child’s Inheritance in an Uncertain Tax Future
- Three Overlooked Benefits of Estate Planning
-
Ask the Editor: Tips for Filing Your 1040Ask the Editor In this week's Ask the Editor Q&A, Joy Taylor answers questions on preparing and filing your 2025 Form 1040.
-
Is Direct Primary Care Right for Your Health Needs?With the direct primary care model, you pay a membership fee for more personalized medical services.
-
Smart Ways to Share a Credit CardAdding an authorized user has its benefits, but make sure you set the ground rules.
-
If You're in the 2% Club and Have a Pension, the 60/40 Portfolio Could Hold You BackIncome from your pension, savings and Social Security could provide the protection bonds usually offer, freeing you up for a more growth-oriented allocation.
-
Bye-Bye, Snowbirds: Wealthy Americans Are Relocating Permanently for Retirement — and This Financial Adviser Can't Fault Their LogicWhy head south for the winter and pay for two properties when you can have a better lifestyle year-round in a less expensive state?
-
Consider These 4 Tweaks to Your 2026 Financial Plan, Courtesy of a Financial PlannerThere's never a bad time to make or review a financial plan. But recent changes to the financial landscape might make it especially important to do so now.
-
We Know You Hate Your Insurance, But Here's Why You Should Show It Some LoveSure, it's pricey, the policies are confusing, and the claims process is slow, but insurance is essentially the friend who shows up during life's worst moments.
-
Is a Caregiving Strategy — for Yourself and Others — Missing From Your Retirement Plan?Millions of people over 65 care for grandkids, adult kids or aging parents and will also need care themselves. Building a caregiving strategy is crucial.
-
6 Financially Savvy Power Moves for Women in 2026 (Prepare to Be in Charge!)Don't let the day-to-day get in the way of long-term financial planning. Here's how to get organized — including a reminder to dream big about your future.
-
Private Equity Is Fundamentally Changing: What Now for Investors and Business Owners?For 40 years, private equity enjoyed extraordinary returns thanks to falling rates and abundant credit. That's changed. What should PE firms and clients do now?
-
I'm a Real Estate Expert: 2026 Marks a Seismic Shift in Tax Rules, and Investors Could Reap Millions in RewardsThree major tax strategies will align in 2026, creating unique opportunities for real estate investors to significantly grow their wealth. Here's how it works.
