A Wrong Beneficiary Form Can Override Your Entire Estate Plan

The hierarchy that controls who actually gets your retirement accounts

The Details

Your will cannot override beneficiary designations on retirement accounts. These forms supersede all other estate documents — even prenups and divorce decrees in many states.

What this means for you

Retirement decisions compound — getting one of these details wrong can cost tens of thousands of dollars over a retirement. The good news: most of these mistakes are completely avoidable if you understand how the rule actually works.

Next step

If you want to see how this applies to your specific situation, take the free Retire Ready Score — a 2-minute assessment that scores your current plan across income, taxes, healthcare, and protection.