Sage-Tips

Should I put my wife as beneficiary?

Does the Surviving Spouse Automatically Become the Beneficiary of a Life Insurance Policy? Usually, there is no requirement in the policy itself that only a spouse be named as the beneficiary. The policy owner has the right to choose any beneficiary they wish.

Why would you want an irrevocable beneficiary?

An irrevocable beneficiary has certain guaranteed rights to assets held in the policy or fund. For example, a spouse who is an irrevocable beneficiary has the right to a policy payout even after a divorce. The ex-spouse must agree to changes in the policy before or after the death of the insured.

Is your spouse automatically your beneficiary on life insurance?

Your life insurance payout may automatically go to your spouse — regardless of whether you name a beneficiary — if you live in a community property state, which considers you and your spouse equal owners of all your joint assets.

Do you want to make this beneficiary irrevocable?

An irrevocable beneficiary must agree to any changes made to a policy, and they can’t be removed from a policy without consent. A situation where an irrevocable beneficiary is named might be when someone looks to add a spouse, or children to their insurance policy.

Should beneficiary be spouse or trust?

Key Takeaway. If you are married, you’ll want to consider naming your spouse as the primary beneficiary of your life insurance, but you should also think about naming your revocable living trust as the primary beneficiary so the proceeds will transfer to a trust to benefit your surviving spouse.

What rights does an irrevocable beneficiary have?

If you designate someone as the “irrevocable beneficiary” of your policy, that person has the right to a pay-out no matter what. You can’t remove that person’s name from the policy, even if you have a falling out or get divorced, without his or her consent.

What is the difference between revocable and irrevocable life insurance?

There are two types of beneficiaries you can name. Revocable and irrevocable. Revocable means that you can change who your beneficiary is anytime without getting their consent. Irrevocable, on the other hand, means that if you want to change your beneficiary you actually need their consent to do so.

What is the difference between revocable and irrevocable beneficiary?

What are the rights of an irrevocable beneficiary?

Who should be listed as beneficiaries?

Generally, you can designate any one or more of the following examples as a beneficiary: One person. Two or more people (and you decide how the benefit is split among them) The trustee of a trust you’ve established.