Banks and other financial institutions don’t automatically ask account holders to designate a beneficiary, so it can be easy to forget or postpone adding a beneficiary until it’s more convenient. But ...

Have you designated a life insurance beneficiary? Providing for loved ones upon your death remains a priority for many people. That’s why it’s important to choose beneficiaries. Failure to do so could ...

A Roth IRA doesn’t have required minimum distributions unless it’s inherited. Withdrawal options vary depending on your relation to the deceased. Consult a tax professional before making decisions ...

Time to catch up on some of the questions that readers have sent in. Q: I've read that you can add a payable on death beneficiary to a car title. I've gone to the BMV website but I can't find a form.

Adding an annuity to your financial plan is something you might consider if you’re hoping to generate additional streams of income for retirement. Annuities are contracts that allow you to exchange a ...

Maybe you’ve heard of “The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning.” It’s a guide to proactively downsizing your stuff while you’re still alive. Doing so spares your heirs the mess of doing it themselves ...

If an IRA is inherited through an estate, the distribution rules for the estate apply, even if the IRA is later transferred to a person. Distribution rules depend on whether the IRA owner died before ...