There are a number of ways to avoid probate, including placing your assets in a trust; distribution by title (joint accounts, POD or TOD, for example); and having a beneficiary and contingent beneficiaries listed on your tax-deferred accounts, such as an IRA or annuity. U.S. Savings Bonds allow you to list a beneficiary or a co-owner. Some mutual fund companies also allow you to designate a beneficiary for your taxable accounts, which means those accounts would also avoid probate. At Vanguard, this feature is known as the Directed Beneficiary Plan. You need to understand, though, that avoiding
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