Life insurance is an important asset (in the case of whole life policies) that should not overlooked by families. It can also be a powerful financial and estate planning tool, but its benefits can be reduced or even eliminated if you designate the wrong beneficiary or fail to change beneficiaries when your life circumstances change.  Common life insurance beneficiary pitfalls to avoid include: (1) Naming your estate as beneficiary Doing so can subject life insurance proceeds to unnecessary state inheritance taxes (in many states), expose the proceeds to your estate’s creditors and ensure that the proceeds will go through probate, which may delay payment to your loved ones. (2) Naming minor children as beneficiaries Insurance companies won’t pay life insurance proceeds directly to minors, which means a court-appointed guardian...