Beneficiaries
The beneficiary form is one page long and it overrides your will. These guides cover how to name, update, and verify the people who will actually receive your death benefit.
7 guides
7 common life insurance beneficiary mistakes (and how to fix them)
The beneficiary form is one page long and it overrides your will. These are the seven mistakes that send death benefits to the wrong person — or to probate.
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What happens to life insurance if no beneficiary is named?
If no beneficiary is named — or all named beneficiaries have died — the payout doesn't disappear. It goes somewhere very specific, and it's almost never where the policyholder intended.
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Can you name a minor child as a life insurance beneficiary?
Naming a minor child as a beneficiary is legal — and almost always a mistake. Here is what actually happens when you do, and the better options.
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What happens to your life insurance after a divorce?
Divorce does not automatically remove an ex-spouse as your life insurance beneficiary. Here is what does — and what you have to do yourself.
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What happens if your life insurance beneficiary dies before you?
If the person named on your policy passes away first and you do nothing, the death benefit can end up in probate instead of with your family. Here is how the rules work.
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How to update your life insurance beneficiary
Updating your beneficiary takes less than 15 minutes — but most people never do it. Here is exactly how, and when, to make the change.
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The difference between primary and contingent beneficiaries
Most people name one beneficiary and call it done. But what happens if that person dies first? Here is how the backup system works — and why it matters.
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