The Primary Beneficiaries are owners of shares in the Company; spouse or descendants of the Primary Beneficiaries are owners of the shares in the Company; Primary Beneficiaries or their descendants are Beneficiaries of a Trust that owns shares in the Company.
The Spouse Is the Automatic Beneficiary for Married People A federal law, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), governs most pensions and retirement accounts.
Whom can I name as beneficiary? You have five basic options: your spouse if married; your children, grandchildren or other individuals; a trust; a charity; or some combination of the above. Most married people name their spouse as beneficiary.
Generally, an ERISA plan participant can select just about anyone to be their beneficiary. Typically, a plan participant selects their spouse, children, or other family members.
An eligible designated beneficiary (EDB) must be an individual, and not a nonperson entity such as a trust, an estate, or a charity (which would be not designated beneficiaries).
In general, ERISA does not cover plans established or maintained by governmental entities, churches for their employees, or plans which are maintained solely to comply with applicable workers compensation, unemployment or disability laws.
The Newlywed Game and Beyond. The retirement plan rules specify that for a married participant, the default beneficiary is his or her spouse.
More In Retirement Plans Many plans require that the spouse is the primary beneficiary, unless the spouse gives written consent to an alternative beneficiary. A plan participant should review and possibly change his or her beneficiaries when his or her spouse dies.