PSA: Be careful when naming beneficiaries  

   When you purchase insurance or open investment accounts, such as an IRA, you’ll be asked to name a beneficiary - but major life events may cause you to take steps to protect that beneficiary.
  If you’ve named your spouse as a beneficiary of an investment account or insurance policy, this beneficiary designation will be automatically revoked upon divorce in about half the states.
  So, if you still want your ex-spouse to get these assets, you will need to name them as a beneficiary after the divorce.
  And when couples divorce in a community property state, the laws require they split their assets 50/50, but only those assets obtained while they lived in that state.
  Assets obtained during marriage in other states may be split differently.
  You may need to work with a legal professional to sort out beneficiary designation issues and the rules that apply in your state.
  But you may also want to do a beneficiary review with your financial advisor whenever you experience a life event such as a marriage, divorce, or the addition of a new child.
  Your investments, retirement accounts, and life insurance proceeds are valuable assets - so make sure they go where you intended.  
  This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor John Dickerson. Member SIPC.