Life Policy ProvisionsQuestion 554 of 716
Naming one's estate as the life insurance beneficiary can be disadvantageous because the proceeds may then be:
a.Subjected to probate and exposed to the deceased's creditors
b.Paid out faster than they would be to a named individual beneficiary
c.Received entirely free of both income tax and estate tax
d.Automatically doubled by the insurer at the insured's death
Explanation
Directing proceeds to the estate pulls them into probate, where they can be delayed and reached by creditors. A named beneficiary generally avoids probate; the estate route does not speed payment or increase the benefit.
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Related questions on this topic
- Under a common disaster (simultaneous death) provision, if the insured and primary beneficiary die in the same accident and the order of death cannot be determined, proceeds are paid as though:
- A contingent (secondary) beneficiary receives the death benefit when:
- A common problem with naming a minor child as the direct beneficiary of a life policy is that:
- A spendthrift clause attached to a life insurance settlement is designed to:
- The waiver of premium rider typically begins paying the policy's premiums only after:
- The payor benefit rider on a juvenile life policy provides that, if the premium-paying adult dies or becomes disabled:
Last reviewed: · editorial process
PrepPass team · Verified against California Life & Health Insurance License Exam · How we review
Reviewed by John Zihao Zhang — California-Licensed Life Insurance Agent (CA Dept. of Insurance License #4396095 — verify)