Quora Answer: Will an Investment Listing Your Children as Beneficiaries Go through Probate?

The following is my answer to a Quora question: “Will an investment listing your children as beneficiaries, go through probate, or be sent directly to the children?”

That depends on what type of investment we are talking about.  Is it an insurance policy?  Is it some sort of fixed deposit?  Is it an investment account?  That depends on where in the world, and the legalities. In short, this question is too general to be answered adequately.

Within the context of Singapore, several things need not go through probate.  They are jointly held bank accounts, which revert to the surviving account holder; joint tenancy property, which likewise reverts to the surviving owner or owners; nominated insurance policies, which are paid out directly to beneficiaries; and nominated CPF, which are also paid out directly to the beneficiaries.