Heed the Warnings to Keep Your Beneficiary Designations Current — It CAN Happen to You!

Ashley (not her real name) lived a continent away from her family in California. She never felt close to her blood family, so when she left her job with a non-profit to work for the federal government her, friends at work became her family. Ashley felt so close to her family of choice she drew up a will leaving everything to her closest friend. It specifically excluded her blood relatives. She mailed the will to a trusted friend in California for safe keeping. She believed the will would cover all her benefits and life insurance.

Ashley was divorced when she was still young enough to think death was decades in the future. Like all of us, she filled out her beneficiary forms within the first 30 days of entering government employment. And like many, if not most of us, she forgot about the forms after she submitted them to Human Resources. Even after her divorce became final.

When Ashley’s health starting failing her, she didn’t share it with anyone. Eighteen months ago, she received the diagnosis: late stage cancer. Ashley was young and optimistic, so she was sure she was going to get well. Her agency allowed her to telework, and her colleagues worked together to help her with the daily tasks that became too difficult for her to handle.

Ashley’s tenacity and will to get well didn’t work in her favor, and she became unable to care for herself.  Ashley finally realized she wasn’t going to get well. While visiting with a close friend, she remembered that her ex-husband, Noah, was the beneficiary for her federal benefits and asked the friend to bring the forms to the hospital so she could make the changes she wanted.

Four months ago, Ashley died. She never had a chance to sign the forms to change her beneficiary designations. Noah received her final paycheck and will receive her life insurance, FERS contributions, and eventually, everything in her TSP account. Yes, the stories they share in the retirement classes happen to real people!

Ashley’s Will? She didn’t have it reviewed by an attorney and it didn’t have all of the provisions required by her State of residence. That means that her blood relatives — the people she specifically intended to exclude from inheriting anything — are entitled to all of her property, and not her family of choice, the people she loved and felt loved by.

Why such a somber topic? We want something good to come from Ashley’s mistakes. If even one person reading this reviews their designations of beneficiaries for their federal benefits and takes the steps to make sure their Will is valid, reflects their wishes, and is filed appropriately, it will help her family of choice — those she loved and returned that love — accept that not all of Ashley’s wishes will come true.

Rest in peace Ashley, you are continuing to help others in death just as you did in life.