In the employee benefits context, a person designated by a participant or the terms of an employee benefit plan to receive benefits from an employee benefit plan. A beneficiary becomes entitled to plan benefits because of the participant's death or a qualified domestic relations order (QDRO).

A participant's beneficiary in a qualified retirement plan that is subject to the qualified joint and survivor annuity (QJSA) requirements under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) and the Internal Revenue Code (Code) is automatically his surviving spouse, unless the spouse has waived his rights or another exception applies. For plans that are not subject to the QJSA requirements, beneficiary designations are generally a matter of plan design.

For more information on beneficiary designations, see Practice Note, Beneficiary Designations in Qualified Retirement Plans.