At the end of January anyone with an IRA should have received a 2008 Form 5498 from their account custodian. This form presents all 2008 IRA contribution information, fair market value of the IRA portfolio as of December 31, 2008, as well as the IRA beneficiary summary statement.
It is wise to review your beneficiaries every year at this time to be certain you still desire the same primary and contingent beneficiary(s) on your account. A frequent mistake is forgetting to add a new child as a beneficiary. Another frequent mistake is naming beneficiaries other than what your estate planning attorney might have recommended. So, take some time to review this form and be sure it matches your intentions.
~Adam
