What is the difference between an heir and a beneficiary?

An heir is someone who may inherit under state law when a person dies without a valid will. Heirs are generally determined by their family relationship to the person who died.

A beneficiary is someone specifically named to receive property through a will, trust, life insurance policy, retirement account, or other legal document.

A person can be both an heir and a beneficiary—but the terms do not always mean the same thing.

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