Few people understand the importance of their IRA beneficiary designation forms, because if they did, they’d read the fine print and that might give them pause. Reviewing these forms should be ...

Advice offered by Marc Hebert, president of The Harbor Group Inc., a certified financial planner. If you have any questions about finance or if you'd like to suggest a future topic, email ...

IF YOU HAVE an individual retirement account, do you recall filling out a beneficiary designation form? That’s the document that allows you to direct the IRA custodian to transfer your IRA to people ...

What can I do now to help my IRA beneficiaries after I'm gone? As I explained last week, your beneficiary designation forms determine how your IRA is distributed after your death. These forms are ...

As financial planners and advisors, we routinely request that the drafter of the client estate-planning documents provide the appropriate language for beneficiary designations that apply to life ...

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 ...

Q. What happens if a non-spouse beneficiary inherits an IRA account but dies before the money is put in her name. There were no contingent beneficiaries. Which estate would get the IRA? — Beneficiary, ...

As estate planning attorneys, we have had to answer that question many times. If the client has a tax-advantaged account, the answer may be “No!” What is a tax-advantaged account? A tax-advantaged ...

I funded an IRA for many years with my son as beneficiary. Two decades later, when looking to add a second beneficiary, I discovered that my beneficiary had changed to someone unknown to me. I was ...

I'm not looking for an answer for an unlucky investor, but I have a story about how you should be vigilant with your finances. I funded an IRA for many years with my son as beneficiary. Two decades ...