Beneficiary designations allow you to specify who will receive your account(s) in the event of your death. Properly designating your beneficiaries is one of the most important (and often overlooked) estate planning techniques.
There are two types of beneficiaries...Primary and Contingent.
A Primary Beneficiary is the person (or persons) who are "first in line" to receive your account(s).
A Contintgent Beneficiary is the person (or persons) who are "next in line" to receive your account(s). A Contingent Beneficiary will only receive your account(s) if all Primary Beneficiaries are unavailable.