A contingent beneficiary is designated by the owner of a retirement account or an insurance contract as the person or organization who will receive proceeds if the primary beneficiary has passed away, cannot be found, or declines the inheritance when it is due.
A contingent beneficiary is only eligible to receive insurance payouts or retirement assets if specific prerequisites are satisfied at the time of the insured’s passing, such as details contained in a will.
Usually, having a contingent beneficiary does not affect your primary beneficiary. Suppose your primary beneficiary dies before you do or declines to inherit, for instance. In that case, your contingent beneficiary will only be entitled to your property if your primary beneficiary cannot do so.
By designating a beneficiary, you formally state who you wish to inherit your assets, such as those in an IRA, 401(k), or an insurance policy, after your death. To ensure that your assets go where you want them to go and do not go through probate, you should consider choosing a secondary beneficiary when arranging your estate.
Contingent Beneficiary vs. Primary Beneficiary
When establishing each of these accounts, you should designate a primary beneficiary or the first person or entity in line to receive the assets from a life insurance policy, retirement account, or living trust. It will help if you also choose a contingent beneficiary or the next person or entity in line if that individual passes away before you can or cannot be traced to receive the assets.
First in line to receive your settlement are your primary life insurance beneficiaries. Often, policy owners designate their favorite charities, close family members, or both as their primary beneficiaries. However, the payout will go to your selected dependent beneficiary if all of your primary beneficiaries are already deceased when you pass away. You can identify any individual or organization as a contingent beneficiary, and you can have one or more, just like you do with a primary beneficiary.
Why should you name contingent beneficiaries?
There may be circumstances where your preferred beneficiary is not qualified to inherit your property. A court will use state rules to determine who should receive your assets if you haven’t designated a contingent beneficiary. You can establish expectations about who will inherit your property if your first choice cannot do so by choosing a contingent beneficiary.
It is best to choose a primary beneficiary as well as at least one, if not several, dependent beneficiaries if you don’t want to leave the distribution of your assets to chance.
Characteristics of Contingent Beneficiaries
Contingent beneficiaries may be individuals, entities, estates, charitable organizations, or trusts. A legal guardian is chosen to manage the funds until the minor reaches legal adulthood if a minor is identified as a contingent beneficiary. Even though immediate family members are more frequently mentioned as contingent beneficiaries, close friends and other family members are frequently included as well.
A retirement plan or life insurance policy may designate more than one contingent beneficiary. Each beneficiary will receive a particular portion of the funds, totaling 100%. Assets are distributed to a contingent beneficiary the same way as to the primary beneficiary.
If I don’t have a contingent beneficiary, what happens?
Your death benefit will be paid to your estate rather than the persons or organizations you’ve chosen if your primary beneficiaries are deceased and you don’t have any dependent beneficiaries. A judge will subsequently decide the receiver of your settlement after going through probate court and being subject to estate taxes. Be aware that once your benefit is paid to your estate, it may not reach your heirs for several months or may be taken by creditors.
How to Change Beneficiaries
You can feel free to modify and change the designations on your life insurance policies and retirement accounts as frequently as you like, with one notable exception: if the account is irrevocable, you cannot change beneficiaries. Beneficiaries don’t have any legal rights to your assets during your lifetime—and may not even be aware that they are your beneficiaries.
It’s simple to change designated beneficiaries on retirement accounts like IRAs and 401(k)s. Still, because this could have adverse tax consequences, especially when spouses are involved, it’s crucial to speak with a legal or tax expert to ensure your affairs are set up in the most advantageous way possible.
Unfortunately, a lot of people avoid or put off estate planning. But it’s crucial since it enables you to preserve and protect your loved ones and your legacy. Your estate and assets will go to the people you intend to when choosing a primary and contingency beneficiary. You won’t be able to regulate who gets what if you don’t finish this crucial phase.
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