“For whatever reason, Trowbridge never deleted the ex-wife as the named beneficiary in the IRA account. Given all the known facts and circumstances, this seems to be a classic oversight.”
Proper planning can set your estate, your assets, and your family in line for a smooth transition but improper or incomplete planning can bring untold hardship, especially if the matter ends up in court. Courtesy of Bill Singer’s blog through Forbes, here’s another sad story to add to the file of otherwise avoidable legal woes. The entire story and Singer’s commentary are worth reading, but in essence it is the story of Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) Arbitration 10-02435 (May 9, 2011), or the shortsightedness of one Newman Trowbridge, Jr, Esq.. Mr. Trowbridge opened an IRA in 1994 and named…