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Can my parents be life insurance beneficiaries?

Can my parents be life insurance beneficiaries?

A beneficiary is a person who will receive the payout from a life insurance policy if you were to die. For some, naming two beneficiaries — say, a partner and a parent — may make sense, especially if both could face financial hardship.

Can you be the beneficiary of a life insurance policy?

You could be the beneficiary of a policy right now without realizing it. If you suspect the existence of a policy you might benefit from, you should take it upon yourself to search for it.

Can a family member take your life insurance money?

Money from the life insurance policy is paid directly to the beneficiary, so other family members may not even be aware of a payout. The deceased also could have tucked away a life insurance policy in a trust that no one else knows about, McManus warns. Love and money often work in collusion.

Can a father leave his life insurance to his second wife?

A father marries a second time and has children from that marriage. He can leave money to a child from his first marriage, or even to his first wife, without the second wife even knowing about it. If he has a life insurance policy naming his older children and first wife as beneficiaries, he need never tell the second wife.

How to find out if you are the beneficiary of a life?

It’s helpful to contact life insurance companies directly by using a list from either the state insurance department or Best’s Insurance Reports found in most libraries. Don’t forget that for most inquiries you’ll need a death certificate and documents that prove your status as a close relative or intended beneficiary of the deceased.

Where can I Find my Father’s life insurance policy?

Life insurance companies make sure the checks are made out to the right people. If you can’t lay your hands on a copy of the policy, try to find out the name of the company that issued it. Ask your dad’s financial adviser, if he had one. Go through your father’s old bank statements and other financial papers if you can access them.

Who are the beneficiaries of a life insurance policy?

It’s common for the policy beneficiary, not the executor, to deal with the insurance company and collect the benefits directly. But executors may be called upon to help beneficiaries claim the payments they’re entitled to. Proceeds from life insurance policies can provide quick and welcome income for surviving family members after a death.

When to consider your grandchildren as beneficiaries?

If grandchildren are still minors, you may wish to help ensure they are provided for financially. Even if you have other assets you would like to pass to grandchildren, you may want to consider them when you choose your life insurance coverage.

A father marries a second time and has children from that marriage. He can leave money to a child from his first marriage, or even to his first wife, without the second wife even knowing about it. If he has a life insurance policy naming his older children and first wife as beneficiaries, he need never tell the second wife.