On your policy, the primary beneficiary is the person(s) or entity you select to receive the life insurance proceeds upon your death. However, if your primary beneficiary can't be located, refuses the proceeds or is deceased at the time of your death, then a secondary (or contingent) beneficiary becomes the recipient.
Typically, having a spouse listed as a beneficiary on your life insurance policy is the most common choice. When a benefit goes to your spouse in a lump sum after you pass away, it's usually exempt from estate and income taxes.
While married people typically choose to name each other as their insurance beneficiaries, single people can choose to name anyone who is either related to them or who might depend on them financially. You may also be able to name a partner or good friend to whom you're not married.
If you're married with kids, naming a spouse as a primary beneficiary is the go-to for most people. This way, your partner can use the proceeds of the policy to help provide for your kids, pay the mortgage, and ease economic hardship that your death may bring. This is true even if one spouse is a stay-at-home parent.
Whom should I not name as beneficiary? Minors, disabled people and, in certain cases, your estate or spouse. Avoid leaving assets to minors outright. If you do, a court will appoint someone to look after the funds, a cumbersome and often expensive process.
Life insurance companies typically do not know when a policyholder dies until they are informed of his or her death, usually by the policy's beneficiary. ... Thus the life insurance company would stop sending premium notices after all premiums were paid.
Revocable beneficiaries: The owner of the life insurance policy has the right to change the beneficiary designation at any time without the consent of the previously named beneficiary.
If you are married, federal law says your spouse* is automatically the beneficiary of your 401k or other pension plan, period. You should still fill out the beneficiary form with your spouse's name, for the record. If you want to name a beneficiary who is someone other than your spouse, your spouse must sign a waiver.
You're the breadwinner
Most experts recommend having a policy that's 5 to 10 times your annual salary. If you are the breadwinner that supports a spouse and children, use a life insurance calculator to help determine the right amount of coverage to protect your loved ones.
Besides naming a spouse as beneficiary, a policyholder could choose another family member, such as an adult child, a business partner or even a boyfriend or girlfriend outside the marriage. ... Insurance companies don't make moral judgments about who is named as beneficiary.
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