We at the MarketWatch Guides team cover everything you need to know about what a bank account beneficiary is and why it’s important to designate one. Key Takeaways Bank account beneficiaries can ...

The person or persons named on an account’s beneficiary designation form will receive those assets after you die ... If you have a will, a beneficiary designation for an investment or bank account ...

The standard beneficiary form that the insurance company, investment firm, or bank uses might not be good enough for you. Your individual retirement account (IRA) might not have the same type of ...

Beneficiaries of traditional bank accounts inherit the funds upon the owner's death. You can designate a beneficiary at any time by providing their personal information. Reviewing and updating ...

Making sure affairs are in order and checking in from time to time is key when it comes to protecting ... you must submit a beneficiary form with the notarized consent of your spouse to HSA Bank.

Move your money to a more cooperative bank. Accounts with named beneficiaries are governed by what their beneficiary forms say, not by your will — and a missing form can be costly, says Ed Slott ...

a beneficiary of the account or the estate executor. Because joint ownership and beneficiaries can make a difference in how your bank account funds are distributed, planning is key. "The gift of ...

Julia Kagan is a financial/consumer journalist and former senior editor, personal finance, of Investopedia. Ebony Howard is a certified public accountant and a QuickBooks ProAdvisor tax expert.