A 401(k) can be one of the largest assets in an estate, and specific rules govern its treatment after death. Beneficiary designations determine who receives the account. Meanwhile, federal ...

That $1.6 million sitting in a traditional 401(k) may feel like a gift to your heirs, but the IRS has a different plan for it ...

Congress has changed the rules for when beneficiaries must take money from inherited IRAs, 401(k)s, and other retirement accounts. Here’s how to avoid the most common tax traps. Planning for inherited ...

A $400,000 401(k) does not follow the will. It follows the beneficiary form. For a surprising number of account holders, those two documents point to different people, and the account holder has no ...

When a parent leaves behind a large pretax 401(k), the heir faces a ticking 10-year clock, mandatory annual withdrawals, and ...

Naming a beneficiary (or co-beneficiaries) to your retirement account may feel like small potatoes, a minor administrative task. However, failing to ensure a beneficiary is named can lead to ...

A 58-year-old man with a $620,000 401(k) balance dies suddenly of a cardiac event. He had divorced four years earlier, drafted a new will leaving everything to his two adult children, and assumed the ...

A recent decision by the Seventh Circuit highlights why employers may want to consider including a provision in their 401(k) plan that revokes a beneficiary designation to an ex-spouse if the plan ...