Designations are made by assigning a percentage of assets to the beneficiary or successor using a form that is entirely separate from your will or living trust. Designations come in several forms ...

Beneficiary designations are among the most important legacy decisions you will make. A variety of financial accounts, including retirement plans and life insurance policies, allow you to designate ...

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KTHV) -- Beneficiary designations are critically important, but unfortunately they're often overlooked, mishandled or even forgotten. Eric Hutchinson, a Certified Financial Planner ...

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 ...

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 ...

This article is part of our “Get It Done” week on Morningstar.com: All week we will feature articles and videos offering guidance on ways to help tackle those nagging items on your financial to-do ...

In an earlier post, I wrote about how important it is for a divorcing or recently divorced woman to update key documents so they accurately reflect her new status. A major part of that financial ...

Many people don’t realize the importance of current and accurate beneficiary designations for certain assets. A key part of estate planning is ensuring that beneficiary designations are up-to-date.

Some financial products like life insurance or tax-advantaged retirement accounts require you to name one or more beneficiaries. However, that's not the case with many assets. For instance, you can ...

It's yet another form in that seemingly endless pile of paperwork needed to complete the application. It's usually only one page and while most clients don't seem to think about it too much, others ...