# Life Insurance Beneficiaries: How to Make and Review Designations > **Summary:** Understand primary and contingent beneficiaries, shares, and questions to ask when reviewing life insurance designations. > **Publisher:** InsuraFAQ > **Author:** InsuraFAQ Editorial Team > **Published:** 2026-11-08 > **Canonical URL:** https://insurafaq.com/insurance/life-insurance-beneficiaries/ > **Tags:** life, beneficiaries A life insurance beneficiary is a person or other party designated to receive a policy's death benefit. You can name more than one beneficiary, as the [Texas Department of Insurance explains](https://www.tdi.texas.gov/pubs/consumer/cb018.html). The policy, the insurer's designation rules and applicable law determine how a particular benefit is handled. Check the actual form and ask the insurer about your circumstances. ## Primary and contingent beneficiaries [The NAIC explains primary and contingent designations](https://content.naic.org/article/consumer-insight-life-insurance). A **primary beneficiary** is your first choice to receive the benefit. A **contingent beneficiary** is a backup, generally considered if the primary beneficiary cannot receive it. Ask the insurer how its form handles a beneficiary who dies before you, declines the benefit, or cannot be located. Do not assume that every policy distributes an unavailable person's share the same way. Naming a backup can help express your intentions if your first choice is no longer available. Ask what happens if no named beneficiary can receive payment; the outcome depends on the policy and applicable law. ## Names and percentage shares Use the insurer's requested identifying information to distinguish each beneficiary clearly. If you name several people, specify their intended percentage shares on the form and check that the shares total 100% for the relevant designation. For example, two primary beneficiaries might be assigned 60% and 40%. That example is not a recommendation; choose shares that reflect your own intentions. Ask whether the form requires separate allocations for primary and contingent beneficiaries, and how it handles a share if one person dies before you. If you want that person's descendants to receive a share, ask the insurer and a qualified professional how to express that choice on the applicable form. Avoid assuming an informal note will have the intended effect. ## Submit and review your designation 1. Ask the insurer or plan administrator for its current beneficiary form and instructions. Employer-provided coverage may have a separate administrator and designation from an individual policy. 2. Check names, identifying details, beneficiary levels and shares. Ask who has authority to make changes and whether any consent or other restriction applies. 3. Submit the form as instructed and request confirmation that it was received and recorded. Keep a copy and the confirmation with your policy records. 4. Review each policy after significant life changes, such as marriage, divorce, a birth or a beneficiary's death. Contact the insurer if an update is needed; do not assume another document automatically updates its records. A divorce can have different consequences under different rules. For example, [Washington's insurance regulator describes a Washington-specific restriction](https://www.insurance.wa.gov/insurance-resources/life-insurance/learn-how-life-insurance-works) on an ex-spouse or former domestic partner remaining a beneficiary, with exceptions. Do not apply that statement as a nationwide rule. Ask the insurer and, when appropriate, a lawyer about your policy, court orders and applicable law. ## Questions about minors and trusts If you want a child or a trust to benefit, ask a qualified estate-planning lawyer how state law, the policy and your intended arrangements interact. Ask the insurer what information it needs and how payment would be handled if the beneficiary is a minor. A trust's name and details should match the actual legal arrangement; this guide cannot determine whether a trust is suitable or how it should be drafted. ## Questions to ask the insurer - Who is currently listed, and what shares and beneficiary levels are recorded? - What happens if a beneficiary dies before the insured person or cannot receive payment? - What form, signatures, consent or supporting documentation are required to change a designation? - How can I confirm the change has been recorded, and how are claims submitted? For broader coverage choices, see our [life insurance guide](https://insurafaq.com/insurance/life/) and [coverage amount guide](https://insurafaq.com/insurance/how-much-life-insurance-do-i-need/). This article is general educational information, not legal or financial advice. ## Sources - National Association of Insurance Commissioners, "Life Insurance" - National Association of Insurance Commissioners, "What Should I Know About Life Insurance Beneficiaries?" - Texas Department of Insurance, "Life insurance guide" - Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner, "Learn how life insurance works"