Updated July 28, 2026. Quick answer: Four decisions are still yours while you are alive: who is named, whether to convert, which asset goes to whom, and whether a trust is warranted. All of them close permanently at death, and the beneficiary inherits only the consequences.
The four, in order of leverage
- Who is named, primary and contingent. Free, fastest, and prevents the worst outcomes. The audit takes an afternoon.
- Whether to convert. The 10-year rule made this a question about your heirs’ brackets, not only yours — see the comparison.
- Which asset goes to whom. Tax character differs enormously; equal balances are not equal.
- Whether a trust is warranted. Only for specific problems — control, protection, special needs. Not for tidiness.
What closes at death
All of it. A beneficiary cannot convert an inherited traditional IRA to a Roth, cannot change who was named, and cannot undo an estate designation. The only remaining lever on their side is timing within the window, and a disclaimer inside nine months. Everything else was decided by the forms.
What to hand your executor
A list of every retirement account with custodian and approximate balance; where the beneficiary designations are held; any record of nondeductible contributions (basis is easily lost and is real money); and your date of birth relative to your required beginning date, which determines their obligations for a decade.
Run your own numbers. Inherited IRA drawdown calculator — shape the ten-year drawdown.
Sources
SECURE Act (2019); SECURE 2.0 (2022); final RMD regulations published 19 July 2024; IRC §401(a)(9); IRC §1014 (basis of property acquired from a decedent); IRC §664 (charitable remainder trusts). Cross-checked July 2026 against professional analyses from Kitces, Grant Thornton, Ascensus, Charles Schwab and Kiplinger. Indexed figures and state-specific rules are flagged rather than asserted.
This states what the cited authority says. It is not tax or legal advice, and beneficiary planning turns on family facts and state law that no page can see.