Beneficiary wants to avoid 'Lifetime' role
Dear Amy: A man who I was involved with many years ago (we have remained friends) announced to me that he is making me beneficiary on his insurance policy.
I am fond of him, but the relationship didn't work out because he constantly and consistently made bad decisions throughout the time we were together. We went our separate ways.
He has since had two children with two different women. These children are in addition to the daughter he and his ex-wife had.
He has a very contentious and messy family, including a sister who behaves like some evil twin from a bad Lifetime movie. She has sued various family members. Pure lunacy.
I told him that I did not want to be his beneficiary. He says that I am the only consistently responsible person he knows. He said he knows I would carry out his last wishes.
I know in the event that he passed before me these nut-jobs would make my life hell.
I told him, " Do not put my name on that policy." He says he doesn't care what I say and that he is doing it anyway.
Is there anything I can do if he goes against my wishes and makes me a beneficiary?
-- Unwilling Beneficiary
Dear Unwilling: Your friend has the right to name you (or anyone) as the beneficiary of his policy. You also have the right to refuse the proceeds, in which case the insurance money would go to his contingent beneficiaries.
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