Use a copy of the trust or will to establish your authority to make a claim, not just stating you’re the beneficiary.
The Official Badge vs. Claiming to Be a Cop
Walking up to a crime scene and telling the officers, “I’m in charge here,” will get you nowhere. You need to show them your official badge. When making a claim for an estate, your word that you are the executor or trustee is meaningless to the insurance company. You must present them with your badge: the legally certified copy of the will or the trust document that officially names you as the person with the authority to act on behalf of the deceased. Without the badge, you’re just a civilian.
Stop letting an insurer pay a deceased person directly. Do provide the estate’s tax ID number and “letters of administration” to direct payment to the estate instead.
Sending a Check to a Ghost vs. Paying the Landlord
An insurance company that makes a check out to a deceased person has just sent a letter to a ghost. It can’t be cashed, and it creates a legal nightmare. To give the money a legal place to live, you must go to the court and get “Letters of Administration,” which officially creates the estate as a legal entity. Then you get a Tax ID number for that estate. This is like giving the insurance company the new landlord’s name and address, so they can send the rent check to the right place.
Stop trying to file a claim without legal authority. Do get appointed as the executor or administrator by the probate court first, instead.
The Person Who Inherits the House vs. the Person with the Keys
Being named in the will is like being told you will inherit a house. It does not, however, give you the keys. To get the legal authority to act—to open the door, to sell the furniture, to file an insurance claim—you must first go to the probate court. The judge will then officially appoint you as the “executor” or “administrator.” This court order is the set of legal keys that the insurance company needs to see before they will ever let you inside the house of the claim.
The #1 secret for a life insurance beneficiary is to immediately request the full policy, including the application, to check for potential denial issues.
The Pre-Purchase Inspection of Your Inheritance
As a beneficiary, you are inheriting a valuable contract. The #1 thing you must do is a “pre-purchase inspection.” Immediately request a complete copy of the policy and, most importantly, a copy of the original application the deceased filled out. You are inspecting this contract for any potential flaws—a forgotten medical condition, a misstated age—that the insurance company might try to use as a loophole to deny your claim, especially if the death occurred within the first two years of the policy.
I’m just going to say it: When an insurer files an “interpleader” action, they are admitting they owe the money but are asking a court to sort out who gets it. This is not a denial.
The Referee Who Throws the Ball to the Judge
An “interpleader” is not a denial; it is a surrender. It is the insurance company walking onto the legal field, raising a white flag, and saying, “We admit we owe this money, but the ex-wife and the new wife are both claiming it, and we don’t want to get sued.” They then deposit the full amount of the money with the court, and the judge becomes the referee who will sort out the fight between the competing beneficiaries. The company is out; the family fight is in.
The reason a life insurance claim is being delayed is because the insurer is investigating for “material misrepresentation” within the two-year contestability period.
The Two-Year Probationary Period for a New Policy
A new life insurance policy is on a strict, two-year probation. If the insured person dies during this “contestability period,” the insurance company has the legal right to launch a full-scale investigation into their entire life. They will pull every medical record and every document, looking for any “material misrepresentation”—a forgotten illness, an undisclosed hobby—on the original application that they can use as a legal excuse to deny the claim and rescind the policy. It is an automatic and often lengthy investigation.
If you’re still not sure what “per stirpes” vs. “per capita” means, you’re losing your ability to understand who gets paid if a primary beneficiary is deceased.
Dividing the Inheritance by Branch vs. by Headcount
These are two completely different ways of dividing a pie. “Per capita” means “by head.” If you have three children beneficiaries and one dies, the pie is simply divided between the two surviving children. “Per stirpes” means “by branch” of the family tree. If one of your three children dies, their one-third share of the pie does not go to their siblings. Instead, it flows down their “branch” of the family tree to be divided among their own children. It is a critical distinction that can completely change who inherits the money.
The biggest lie you’ve been told is that a will can change a beneficiary designation on a life insurance policy or IRA.
The Super-Powered Contract vs. the Regular Will
A will is a powerful legal document for most of your assets. But a beneficiary designation on a life insurance policy or an IRA is a legal superhero. It is a specific type of contract that, by law, overrides whatever your will says. If your will says your new spouse gets everything, but your ex-spouse is still named as the beneficiary on your life insurance, the superhero will win. The insurance company must pay the ex-spouse, and your will is powerless to stop it.
I wish I knew to check and update my beneficiary designations after my divorce.
The Legal Ghost Who Will Come Back to Haunt Your Estate
Your divorce decree does not automatically remove your ex-spouse as the beneficiary of your life insurance. They remain a legal ghost, silently haunting your policy. Unless you take the specific, proactive step of filling out a new form and officially naming a new beneficiary, that ghost will materialize after your death. The insurance company will be legally required to pay the full amount to your ex-spouse, and your current family will be left with nothing but a legal nightmare.
99% of executors make this one mistake: they fail to purchase a new insurance policy for the estate’s property, creating a massive liability gap.
The Empty House That Is Suddenly Uninsured
The moment a person dies, their homeowner’s insurance policy may become void, or the coverage may be severely limited. The executor’s #1 job is to immediately call the insurance company and get a new, specialized “vacant dwelling” or “estate” policy. Failing to do this creates a terrifying liability gap. If a fire burns down the now-uninsured house, or if a person slips and falls on the property, the executor can be held personally liable for the massive financial loss.
Use a small estate affidavit to handle a claim without full probate, not just assuming you need a lengthy court process.
The Express Lane Through the Courthouse
“Probate” is the long, expensive, and public process of settling an estate. But for smaller estates, most states have a secret express lane called a “small estate affidavit.” This is a simple, sworn document that allows you to legally collect the assets of the deceased—including a small insurance payment—without having to go through the full, formal probate process. It is the legal shortcut that can save you months of time and thousands of dollars in legal fees.
Stop accepting a denial of a life insurance claim for “suicide.” Do check the policy’s specific exclusion period (usually two years) instead.
The Clock That Determines the Outcome of a Tragedy
Nearly every life insurance policy has a “suicide exclusion.” But this is not a permanent rule; it is a ticking clock. The exclusion is almost always limited to the first two years after the policy was issued. If the death occurs after that two-year clock has run out, the exclusion no longer applies, and the insurance company is legally obligated to pay the full death benefit. The date of the death is the single most important fact in determining if this tragic event is a covered claim.
Stop letting a family member who is not the executor interfere with the claim. Do establish a single point of contact with the insurer instead.
The Ship with Too Many Captains
An insurance claim for an estate is a complex ship to steer. If multiple, emotional family members are all calling the adjuster and giving different information, the ship will go in circles and eventually crash. The legally appointed executor is the one and only captain of that ship. They must inform the insurance company, in writing, that they are the sole point of contact for the claim. This ensures a clear, consistent, and professional line of communication, and it keeps the other passengers from trying to grab the wheel.
The #1 hack for a disputed beneficiary claim is to use mediation to resolve the issue without costly litigation.
The Peace Summit vs. the Family Civil War
A dispute between beneficiaries—like an ex-wife and a new wife—can turn into a brutal, expensive, and family-destroying civil war fought in a courtroom. The #1 hack to avoid this is “mediation.” This is a peace summit where all the parties agree to meet with a neutral, third-party diplomat. The mediator’s job is to help the family negotiate a private, confidential settlement that they can all live with, avoiding the public spectacle and the scorched-earth consequences of a full-scale legal war.
I’m just going to say it: The ex-spouse who was never removed as a beneficiary is probably going to get the money.
The Un-erased Name on the Winning Lottery Ticket
A beneficiary designation is a legally binding contract. It is a winning lottery ticket. If your deceased loved one’s ex-spouse is still the named person on that ticket, the lottery commission (the insurance company) is legally required to pay them the prize. It does not matter what the divorce decree said or what the will says. The name on the ticket is the only thing that matters. Unless there are very specific, state-law exceptions, the un-erased name is the one that will get the check.
The reason your claim is being denied is because the premiums weren’t paid and the policy lapsed.
The Unpaid Bill That Caused the Power to Be Shut Off
A life insurance policy is a utility, like the electricity in your house. The premium is the monthly bill. If you stop paying the bill, the company is required to send you a formal “shut-off notice” (a notice of cancellation). If you don’t pay within the grace period, they will flip the switch, and the policy will “lapse.” It is no longer in force. A claim that is denied for a policy lapse is the insurance equivalent of discovering the power is out because no one paid the electric bill.
If you’re still not providing a certified copy of the death certificate to the insurer, you’re losing time on a simple requirement.
The Official, Government Seal of Approval
A photocopy of a death certificate is not enough. To pay a life insurance claim, the company needs a “certified copy.” This is the official version, issued by the county or state, that has a raised, embossed seal on it. It is the government’s official, legally binding stamp of approval that proves the death has occurred. Not getting a half-dozen of these certified copies immediately is the most common reason for a simple, administrative delay in getting your benefits paid.
The biggest lie you’ve been told is that you need a lawyer to file a simple life insurance claim.
The Bank Withdrawal That You Can Do Yourself
For a straightforward life insurance claim—where the policy is old and the beneficiary is clear—you do not need a lawyer. The process is the administrative equivalent of taking a death certificate to a bank to withdraw money from an account. It is a matter of filling out the correct forms and providing the correct documentation. A lawyer will simply charge you a percentage of the money to do the basic paperwork that you are perfectly capable of doing yourself.
I wish I knew that I could “disclaim” my inheritance, including insurance proceeds, for tax or other reasons.
The Legal Right to Say “No, Thank You” to an Inheritance
You have the absolute legal right to refuse an inheritance. This is called “disclaiming” it. Why would you do this? Perhaps the money would disqualify you for government benefits, or maybe you are in a high tax bracket and you would rather the money pass directly to your children. By filing a formal, written disclaimer, you are legally saying, “No, thank you.” The insurance money will then pass to the next person in line, the “contingent beneficiary,” as if you had died before the insured.
99% of people make this one mistake: they don’t know where the physical insurance policy documents are located.
The Treasure Map to a Forgotten Fortune
A life insurance policy is a treasure map. But 99% of the time, the people who are supposed to get the treasure have no idea where the map is hidden. After a death, families will spend months searching through dusty file cabinets and safe deposit boxes, trying to find this critical document. The single most important thing a person can do is to put all of their insurance policies in one, clearly labeled binder, and to tell their executor exactly where that binder is located.
Use a trust certification to prove the trustee’s authority, not sending the entire lengthy trust document.
The Driver’s License vs. Your Entire Life Story
A “trust certification” is the driver’s license for a trust. It is a short, simple, and legally recognized document that proves who the trustee is and that they have the authority to act. An insurance company only needs to see this license. Sending them the entire, 100-page trust document is like sending a bank your entire, multi-volume autobiography to prove your identity. It is unnecessary, it is a violation of your privacy, and it will only slow the process down.
Stop letting the insurer delay payment because one of multiple beneficiaries cannot be found. Do ask them to pay the known beneficiaries their share or file an interpleader instead.
The Siblings Who Have to Wait for the One, Missing Brother
A policy has three beneficiaries, but one of them cannot be located. The insurer will often use this as an excuse to withhold payment from everyone, sometimes for years. This is unacceptable. You must demand that they either pay the two, known beneficiaries their rightful share of the money immediately, or that they file an “interpleader” and deposit the entire amount with the court. Do not let the mystery of the one, missing brother hold your own, undisputed inheritance hostage.
Stop assuming the insurance company will find you. Do proactively search for lost or forgotten policies using state databases instead.
The Lost and Found for Your Financial Life
People often lose track of old life insurance policies from past jobs or from companies that have since merged. The insurance company will not try very hard to find you. You must be the one to search for your own, lost treasure. Many states have a “life insurance policy locator” service on their Department of Insurance website. This free tool allows you to search a national database to see if you are the named beneficiary on a forgotten or lost policy. It is the official lost and found for your financial life.
The #1 secret for an executor is to marshal all assets, which includes identifying and claiming all insurance benefits owed to the decedent.
The Financial Detective on a Treasure Hunt
An executor is not just a paper-pusher; they are a financial detective. Their #1 job is to “marshal the assets,” which is a legal term for a treasure hunt. They must find every single asset the deceased owned. This means going through their old mail and their bank statements, looking for clues of a forgotten life insurance policy, an annuity, or a disability claim that was in progress. They must be a relentless detective, because every dollar they find adds to the value of the estate.
I’m just going to say it: Naming a minor as a direct beneficiary on a life insurance policy is a huge mistake that will require a court-appointed guardian.
The Million-Dollar Check You Just Handed to a Toddler
Naming a child as a direct beneficiary on your life insurance is the legal equivalent of handing a million-dollar check to a five-year-old. A minor cannot legally own or manage property. The insurance company cannot, and will not, give them the money. Instead, you have just created a legal and financial nightmare. The family will now have to go to court to have a formal, legal guardian appointed to manage the money. It is a costly, time-consuming, and completely avoidable mistake.
The reason the claim is so complicated is because the property was held in a life estate.
The House with Two, Competing Owners
A “life estate” is a strange and complex form of property ownership. It’s like having two, competing owners for the same house. The “life tenant” has the right to live in the house for their lifetime. The “remainderman” is the person who gets the house after the life tenant dies. When there is an insurance claim, a massive legal battle can erupt. Who gets the insurance check? The current resident, or the future owner? It is a legal and financial tug-of-war that often requires a judge to sort out.
If you’re still not insuring the vacant home held by the estate, you’re risking a denial for “vandalism or malicious mischief.”
The Empty House That Is a Magnet for Trouble
A vacant house is a magnet for trouble. And insurance companies know this. A standard homeowner’s policy has a “vacancy” exclusion that says after a certain period (often 60 days), they will no longer cover the high-risk perils of vandalism, theft, or broken glass. As the executor, you must immediately purchase a special “vacant dwelling” policy. If you don’t, and a vandal breaks in and causes a fire, you will be left with a destroyed, uninsured asset, and you could be held personally liable.
The biggest lie you’ve been told is that a contingent beneficiary has no rights.
The Understudy Who Is Waiting in the Wings
A “contingent” or “secondary” beneficiary is the understudy in a play. As long as the star of the show (the primary beneficiary) is alive and well, the understudy has no role. But the moment the star cannot perform, the understudy is instantly promoted. They step into the spotlight and get all the lines and all the glory. The contingent beneficiary has a powerful, legally recognized, and incredibly important future interest in the policy. They are not just a footnote; they are the backup plan.
I wish I knew that a prenuptial agreement could affect my rights to insurance proceeds.
The Private Contract That Overrides the Public Law
A prenuptial agreement is a powerful, private contract that you and your spouse sign. And it can have a huge impact on your insurance rights, especially in a “community property” state. You might have signed away your legal right to the death benefit from a policy your spouse bought during the marriage. This private treaty can override the normal, public laws of your state. It is a secret, legal document that can completely change the outcome of a beneficiary dispute.
This one small action of creating a “letter of instruction” for your executor will change how easily your estate is settled forever.
The Cheat Sheet for the Executor of Your Life
A “letter of instruction” is not a legal document; it is the ultimate cheat sheet for your executor. It is the secret guide that you write that tells them everything they need to know. “My life insurance policy is in the green binder in the safe. The combination is 12-34-56. My online password manager is here. My lawyer’s name is John Smith.” This one, simple, and informal letter will save your grieving loved ones from hundreds of hours of frustrating, emotional, and expensive detective work.
Use the slayer statute to prevent a beneficiary from collecting if they were responsible for the insured’s death, not just letting them get away with it.
The Law That Says You Can’t Murder Your Way into an Inheritance
The “slayer statute” is a law in almost every state that is based on a simple, common-sense rule: you are not allowed to profit from your own crime. If a beneficiary intentionally and feloniously kills the insured person, the slayer statute automatically and legally disbars them from receiving the insurance money. The law will treat the killer as if they had died before the insured, and the money will pass to the next person in line. It is the ultimate legal backstop to prevent a murderer from getting rich.
Stop letting the insurance company tell you what the trust documents mean. Do have an estate planning attorney interpret them instead.
The Opposing Coach Who Is Interpreting Your Playbook
An insurance company is the opposing team. Letting their claims adjuster, who is not a lawyer, interpret your complex and confusing trust document is like letting the other team’s coach read your secret playbook and then tell you what your own plays mean. Their interpretation will always be the one that is most convenient and least expensive for them. You must have your own expert coach—an estate planning attorney—read your playbook and tell you what it really says.
Stop just dividing the money. Do consider the tax implications of a settlement for the estate and beneficiaries instead.
The Hidden Tax Bill on Your Inheritance
Life insurance proceeds are almost always income-tax-free. But the story does not end there. If the estate itself is very large, the insurance money can be included in the calculation for the federal “estate tax.” And if the money is paid to the estate instead of a person, it could be subject to claims from creditors before it ever reaches the beneficiaries. You must not just think about dividing the pie; you must first consult with a tax professional to see how big the government’s slice of that pie is going to be.
The #1 hack for an accidental death & dismemberment (AD&D) claim is to get the full autopsy report to prove the death was not from natural causes.
The Medical Detective’s Report on the Cause of Death
An AD&D policy only pays if the death was a true “accident.” The insurance company will always look for a way to claim the death was caused by a natural, medical event. The full autopsy report is the final, scientific word from the medical detective. It will provide the detailed, medical evidence needed to prove that the cause of death was the traumatic injuries from the car crash, not a secret, pre-existing heart attack that happened a moment before. It is the key to proving the “accident.”
I’m just going to say it: Trying to hide assets from creditors using insurance beneficiary designations can be clawed back by the bankruptcy court.
The Financial Shell Game That a Judge Can Unwind
It seems like a clever move: you are about to go bankrupt, so you take all your cash and you buy a giant life insurance policy, naming your son as the beneficiary. You think you have moved the money to a safe, untouchable place. This is a “fraudulent conveyance.” A bankruptcy judge has the power to unwind this financial shell game. They can “claw back” the money, void the policy, and put the cash back into the pot for your creditors to share.
The reason your claim requires a court order is because the beneficiary designation is ambiguous.
The Typo That Has Thrown a Wrench in the Machine
An “ambiguous” beneficiary designation is a typo that has just thrown a giant, metal wrench into the smooth-running gears of your claim. Perhaps the form just says “my wife,” but the deceased had been married three times. Or it lists a child’s name but has the wrong social security number. When the insurance company cannot be 100% certain who the money should go to, they will freeze the claim and demand a formal court order from a judge that officially clarifies the deceased’s true intent.
If you’re still not getting a taxpayer ID number for the estate, you’re losing the ability to open an estate bank account to deposit the check.
The Social Security Number for a Deceased Person’s Financial Ghost
An “estate” is the financial ghost of a person who has died. And just like a living person, that ghost needs its own, official social security number to conduct business. This is called an “Employer Identification Number” (EIN) or a Tax ID number. You get it from the IRS. Without this number, you cannot open a bank account in the name of the estate. And if you cannot open a bank account, you have nowhere to deposit the insurance check that is made out to the estate.
The biggest lie you’ve been told is that the funeral home will handle all the life insurance paperwork for you.
The “Helpful” Service That Comes with a Hidden Cost
A funeral home may offer to “help” you with your life insurance claim. This is not a free, kind service. They are doing this so they can get an “assignment of benefits,” which allows the insurance company to pay them directly out of the death benefit. They are ensuring they get paid first, before you. While it can be convenient, you are giving up control of your own money. It is far better for you to handle the claim yourself and to pay the funeral home directly.
I wish I knew about the “simultaneous death” clause in the policy.
The Legal Tie-Breaker for an Unthinkable Tragedy
Imagine a husband and wife are in a car accident and they both die. The husband’s life insurance names his wife as the primary beneficiary, and his children as the contingent. Who gets the money? The “simultaneous death” clause is the legal tie-breaker. It will state that if the primary beneficiary dies within a certain number of days of the insured, the law will treat them as if they died first. This allows the insurance money to flow directly to the children, avoiding a legal and probate nightmare.
99% of people make this one mistake: they assume their will controls everything, ignoring how beneficiary designations and property titles work.
The Three Kings Who Rule Your Estate
You think your will is the one, true king of your estate. But there are actually three, competing kings who rule different parts of your kingdom. The first king is your “will,” which controls your personal property. The second king is “property title,” which controls who gets your house. The third, and often most powerful, king is the “beneficiary designation” on your life insurance and your retirement accounts. These three kings rule their own lands, and the will is often powerless to override the other two.
Use a bonded professional fiduciary if the family cannot agree on who should manage the estate’s claim, not just letting the infighting continue.
The Neutral, Professional Referee for a Family Feud
When a family is paralyzed by grief and infighting over who should manage the estate, the insurance claim will grind to a halt. The solution is to hire a neutral, third-party referee. A “professional fiduciary” is a licensed and bonded expert who can be appointed by the court to step in and manage the estate. They are the impartial professional who will make the tough decisions, manage the claim, and ensure everything is handled legally and fairly, saving the family from destroying itself.
Stop accepting a denial for a misstatement of age on a life insurance application. Do understand the benefit will likely just be adjusted, not denied, instead.
The Price Adjustment, Not the Canceled Sale
The applicant lied about their age on the application to get a lower premium. The insurer discovers this after they die. This is not grounds for a full denial. Instead, the policy has an “incontestable clause” that says the benefit will simply be adjusted. They will go back and calculate what the real premium should have been, and they will reduce the death benefit accordingly. It is a price adjustment for the incorrect information, not a full cancellation of the sale.
Stop letting an estranged family member hold up the process. Do have the estate’s attorney file a motion to compel their cooperation instead.
The Legal Cattle Prod to Get a Stubborn Person Moving
An estate settlement requires all the heirs to sign off on certain documents. If one, stubborn, estranged family member is refusing to cooperate, the entire process can be held hostage. You are not powerless. The estate’s attorney can go to the probate judge and file a “motion to compel.” This is a legal cattle prod. It is a formal court order that commands the uncooperative person to show up and sign the papers, or face a contempt of court charge from the judge.
The #1 secret is that you can often get the insurer to pay interest on a life insurance death benefit from the date of death.
The Late Fee for Holding onto Your Money
A life insurance benefit is legally due and payable on the date of the person’s death. If the insurance company holds onto that money for a month, or six months, while they are processing your claim, they are essentially borrowing your money. Many states have laws that say they have to pay you interest on that loan. This is a late fee. You must always ask for the insurer to calculate and pay the interest on the death benefit, retroactive to the date of death.
I’m just going to say it: Your power of attorney died with the person who gave it to you; you need to be the executor to act now.
The Keys to a Car That Has Just Been Sold
A “power of attorney” is a legal document that gives you the keys to another person’s car. But the moment that person dies, the car is legally “sold” to a new entity called “the estate.” Your old set of keys no longer works. To get the new set of keys, you must go to the probate court and be appointed as the “executor.” That court order is the only set of keys that will allow you to drive the car and manage the financial affairs of the deceased.
The reason the claim is being denied is because the death occurred during the commission of a felony.
The “Get Out of Jail Free” Card for a Criminal Act
This is a common, and powerful, exclusion in a life insurance policy. If the insured person dies while they are in the process of committing a serious crime—like a bank robbery or a drug deal—the insurance company does not have to pay. It is the ultimate “get out of jail free” card for the insurer. They are not required to provide a financial safety net for a death that is a direct result of the insured person’s own, felonious criminal activity.
If you’re still not providing a clear chain of title for a property claim, you’re losing time proving the estate’s insurable interest.
The Deed That Proves You Own the Damaged House
To make a property claim, you must prove that the estate has an “insurable interest,” meaning it legally owns the damaged property. The “chain of title” is the series of legal deeds that is the official, historical record of that ownership. If the property has been passed down through multiple generations without a clear, recorded deed, you will have to hire a real estate lawyer to go back and re-create this chain of ownership. Without it, you can’t prove to the insurer that you own the house you are trying to insure.
The biggest lie you’ve been told is that you can’t challenge a beneficiary change that was made under duress or undue influence.
The Last-Minute, Suspicious Change to the Will
An elderly, sick person is on their deathbed. Suddenly, a new, younger caretaker shows up, and a week before the death, the life insurance beneficiary is changed to this new person. This is a massive red flag for “undue influence” or “duress.” You can absolutely challenge this. You can file a lawsuit and argue to a judge that the deceased did not have the mental capacity, or that they were coerced, into making this last-minute change. The signature on the form is not always the final word.
I wish I knew how community property laws would affect the distribution of the insurance proceeds.
The Law That Says Your Spouse Is Your Automatic Business Partner
If you live in a “community property” state, the law automatically makes your spouse a 50/50 business partner in your financial life. This means that even if you name your child as the 100% beneficiary on your life insurance policy, your spouse may have a legal right to 50% of that money if the policy was paid for with “community” funds during the marriage. It is a powerful state law that can override the written instructions on your beneficiary form.
This one small action of confirming beneficiaries annually will prevent a world of pain for your loved ones.
The Annual Check-up for Your Financial Legacy
Your beneficiary designations are the final, most important instructions you will ever leave for your family. And yet, people let them sit, un-inspected, for decades. This one, simple, five-minute action—a yearly check-up to make sure your ex-spouse has been removed and your newborn child has been added—is the most important financial planning you can do. It is the simple act of preventative medicine that will save your grieving family from a painful, expensive, and completely avoidable legal surgery after you are gone.