Q: I have a will. Is it also necessary to have a beneficiary designation on file with the manager of my IRA account?
My will covers all of my assets and is not very complex, but the investment company that manages my IRA account has a beneficiary form which doesn't allow the same amount of detail. Upon my death, is it likely that there will be financial, e.g. tax, implications if no beneficiary designation is attached to the IRA account? Is it helpful to designate "My Estate" as the IRA account beneficiary?
A: It will save your heirs some money if you do so. If there is no beneficiary, all of the assets in the IRA will be subject to the audit fees from the Clerk's Office.
A: You want to have designated beneficiaries on your investment accounts since they will pass outside of any probate and pass automatically to your beneficiary upon your passing.
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
