His ex got his 401k

14 Mar 2026 · 1 min

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0:42

In this brief YouTube monologue, Jerry Taylor recounts a cautionary case where a divorced man, David, failed to update the beneficiary on his 401(k) after his divorce. Two months later he died in a car accident, and his ex‑wife, whose name remained on the beneficiary form, received the entire $460,000 balance, leaving his children with nothing. The children sued, and the case escalated to the Supreme Court, where they lost because federal law gives absolute priority to the person named on a retirement‑plan beneficiary designation over any divorce decree, will, or trust. Taylor uses the story to warn viewers to check and, if necessary, change their own beneficiary designations immediately.

Chapters

David got divorced and the judge said he could keep his entire 401. He died 2 months later in a car accident and his ex-wife got to keep every penny of the $460,000 in his 401. Now, why did that happen? Because after he got divorced, he did not change the beneficiary on his 401. Ex-wife got it all. His kids got nothing. Kids sued and it went all the way to the Supreme Court and the kids lost. Federal law says whoever's name is on that beneficiary form gets the money. Does not matter what a divorce decree, a will, or a trust says. Beneficiary designations win every time. Check yours right now and follow me.