The Beneficiary Designations
You’ve got your will. Maybe even a trust. But if your beneficiary designations aren’t up to date, your plan might not work the way you intend.
At Tandem Financial Team, we’ve seen it happen too often: a thoughtfully drafted legacy plan derailed by a decades-old account with an outdated beneficiary. The result? Assets go to the wrong person—or worse, the wrong process.
Let’s change that.
Beneficiary designations override your will. That means the person listed on your retirement accounts, life insurance policies, or even some brokerage accounts will inherit those assets—regardless of what your estate documents say.
Outdated or missing designations can:
Trigger probate (slowing everything down)
Create tax inefficiencies
Disinherit someone you meant to include
Cause conflict among loved ones
Start with these common accounts:
IRAs and 401(k)s
Life insurance policies
Annuities
Transfer-on-death (TOD) or payable-on-death (POD) accounts
Health savings accounts (HSAs)
Then confirm:
Are the listed beneficiaries still accurate?
Have you named contingent (backup) beneficiaries?
Are any designations left blank—or worse, naming a minor without a trust?
We recommend reviewing them:
After major life changes (marriage, divorce, birth, death)
When updating your estate plan
At least every 3–5 years
We offer beneficiary audits as part of our strategy sessions. We’ll help you track down accounts, verify designations, and make sure they align with your legacy goals.
Because the smallest form can have the biggest impact on your family’s future.