For many individuals, IRAs, qualified plans and life insurance policies make up a large percentage of their overall net worth. Yet many individuals invest in these assets knowing they may never personally benefit from them during their lifetime. Because of this, much of the value of these assets will pass to other individuals, most often other family members. While simply naming a spouse or a child as the designated beneficiary of your estate may be the easiest and most common option, individuals and their advisors should understand the basics of these assets prior to doing so in order to properly, and tax-effectively, plan for disposition of them during life and at death.
