Changing the beneficiary of a 401(k) plan can involve specific requirements, particularly when it comes to spousal consent. In many cases, to protect your spouse's financial interests, you need ...

For example, the current law provides a woman very little protection if her spouse takes a 401(k) distribution without her consent. Some lawmakers are trying to change that by reintroducing the ...

A pair of Democratic bills recently introduced in the House and Senate would require spouses to consent before either one can make any withdrawals from their 401(k) accounts. The bills ...

The Women’s Retirement Protection Act (WPRA) of 2025 would require the consent of both partners in order to take out a 401(k) loan or distribution. Under current law, one spouse can withdraw ...

In a qualified plan account, the spouse is the default beneficiary. Spousal consent is required to change the beneficiary for these accounts. A spousal beneficiary rollover is a transfer of fund ...

The IRS issued new proposed regulations that would permanently change the rules that require spousal consent for plan distributions to be signed in the physical presence of a notary or plan ...

"Since passage of the Retirement Equity Act of 1984, beneficiaries of defined-benefit plans must obtain written spousal consent to take payment in a form other than a joint-and-survivor annuity ...