How Beneficiary Designations Put Your Family at Risk

You've worked hard to build your assets and secure your family's future. Like many responsible adults, you've named beneficiaries on your retirement accounts, life insurance policies, and maybe even your banking and investment accounts. It feels good to know you've put something in place for your loved ones.

But here's the truth many financial advisors, CPA’s, and even other lawyers won’t tell you: relying solely on beneficiary forms for your estate plan can lead to unintended consequences and potential financial disasters for your loved ones. While beneficiary designations serve a purpose, they're far from a comprehensive estate planning solution. Let's explore why beneficiary designations alone fall short and the risks you may be unknowingly taking with your family's financial future.

The Dangers of Naming Minor Children As Your Beneficiaries

​You love your children and want to ensure they're cared for if something happens to you. Naming them as beneficiaries on your accounts seems like a straightforward way to achieve this goal. However, this approach can backfire spectacularly when your children are minors. You create a legal and financial quagmire when you designate a minor as a beneficiary. Financial institutions can't simply hand over large sums of money to children. Instead, the court will likely appoint a guardian to manage the funds. This process can be time-consuming, expensive, and may not align with your wishes.

Even more concerning is what happens when your child reaches the age of majority, typically 18 or 21, depending on your state. At this point, they gain complete control of the inherited assets. Ask yourself: Is your 18-year-old ready to manage a six or seven-figure life insurance policy? What about your retirement account? For most young adults, the answer is a resounding no.

Imagine your child receiving a windfall at an age when they're still learning to navigate adult responsibilities. They might make impulsive financial decisions, fall prey to manipulative friends or partners, or simply lack the maturity to handle sudden wealth. By relying solely on beneficiary designations, you're potentially setting your child up for financial mismanagement or even exploitation.

There is a much better way to ensure your children receive their inheritance at an age (or ages) you deem appropriate: a Life & Legacy Plan. With our Life & Legacy Planning process, we support you in providing for your child's needs while protecting the assets until they reach a more appropriate age to manage them independently. This approach ensures your hard-earned money supports your child's long-term well-being rather than funding a brief period of reckless spending.

When a Beneficiary Dies Before You

Life is unpredictable, and tragedy can strike at any time. While it's uncomfortable to contemplate, your named beneficiaries may predecease you or die with you in an accident. This scenario can throw your estate into chaos if you've relied entirely on beneficiary forms.

When a named beneficiary dies before you, the fate of those assets becomes uncertain. Some accounts may have provisions for contingent beneficiaries, but many people neglect to name backups. In other cases, the asset may revert to your estate, potentially subjecting it to probate – a time-consuming and potentially expensive legal process you likely wanted to avoid by using beneficiary designations in the first place.

The situation becomes even more complex if you and your primary beneficiary die simultaneously or in quick succession. In such cases, determining the order of death can have significant implications for how your assets are distributed. Without a comprehensive estate plan in place, your assets may end up going to unintended recipients or getting tied up in lengthy legal battles.

A Life & Legacy Plan, however, can provide clear instructions for various scenarios, including the death of beneficiaries. By establishing a will or trust, you can create a chain of inheritance that accounts for multiple contingencies, ensuring your assets are distributed according to your wishes regardless of the circumstances.

The Risks of “Set-It-and-Forget-It” Planning

Life is dynamic and filled with changes, both big and small. Your financial situation evolves, relationships shift, and laws change. Yet, all too often, people treat beneficiary designations as a "set it and forget it" solution. This static approach to estate planning can lead to severe problems down the line.

1. Consider how much can change over the course of a few years or decades:
2. You may divorce or remarry, dramatically altering your family structure.
3. Children grow up, and your relationship with them may change.
4. Your financial situation could improve significantly, making previous designations inadequate.
5. Tax laws and regulations around inherited assets may be revised.
6. You might develop new philanthropic interests or want to include charitable giving in your legacy.

If you don't regularly review and update your beneficiary designations, they may no longer reflect your current wishes or circumstances. It's not uncommon for people to unknowingly leave substantial assets to ex-spouses or estranged relatives simply because they failed to update their beneficiary forms (in fact, check out my blog for a recent article about this).

In addition, beneficiary designations don't allow for the nuanced distribution of assets that many people desire as their wealth grows. You might want to establish conditions for inheritance, protect assets from creditors, or provide for family members with special needs. These complex wishes simply can't be accommodated through standard beneficiary forms.

On the other hand, a Life & Legacy Plan is designed to adapt to life's changes. Regular reviews with my office ensure your plan evolves with you, reflecting your current situation and desires. This means your assets go to the people you want in the way you want, and your plan works when you and your loved ones need it.

The Peace of Mind That Comes From Careful Planning

To truly protect your legacy and ensure your wishes are carried out, you need a Life & Legacy Plan, rooted in education about what would happen to you, your family, and your assets if you become incapacitated and when you die. From there, we craft a plan together that reflects your wishes, works when you need it to, and fits within your budget. This might include a will, one or more trusts, powers of attorney, and healthcare directives, in addition to carefully considered beneficiary designations. When we complete your original Life & Legacy Plan, you’ll have peace of mind knowing that it will:

1. Protect minor beneficiaries and ensure assets are managed responsibly;
2. Provide for multiple contingencies, including the death of beneficiaries;
3. Minimize taxes and avoids probate when possible;
4. Reflect your values and complex wishes for asset distribution;
5. Adapt to changes in your life, finances, and the legal landscape.

Don't leave your legacy to chance or expose your loved ones to unnecessary financial risks. Your family's future security is worth the time and financial investment in proper planning. Remember, a truly effective estate plan is a living document that grows and changes with you, providing peace of mind today and security for generations to come.

Know, too, that if you’ve already created your Life & Legacy Plan with me, keep an eye out for reminders to review and update your plan. If you know that you need to update your plan before we remind you, don’t hesitate to call us immediately.

How We Help You Create the Right Plan For Your Needs

We help you create a Life & Legacy Plan so that your loved ones stay out of court and conflict and have a plan that works when you need it to. Once you’ve created your plan, you can rest easy knowing your wishes will be honored, your loved ones cared for, and your assets protected.

We’ll also touch base regularly to ensure your plan and beneficiary designations stay updated over time, taking the burden off your shoulders to make changes to your plan when needed. After all, you have enough to worry about each day. Click here to schedule a complimentary 15-minute consultation to learn more about how we support you.

This article is a service of family trust lawyer Stuart Williams and the Family Wills & Trusts law firm of Lansing. We don’t just draft documents; we ensure you make informed and empowered decisions about life and death, for yourself and the people you love. That's why we offer a Family Wealth Planning Session,™ during which you will get more financially organized than you’ve ever been before, and make all the best choices for the people you love. You can begin by calling our office today to schedule a Family wealth Planning Session and mention this article to find out how to get this $750 session at no charge.