I thought we wanted the trust to own everything or be the designated beneficiary. Why does my IRA/401(k)/other retirement account name my spouse as beneficiary?

Generally we recommend that the trust be the owner or designated beneficiary of the financial accounts. The exception to this general rule is retirement accounts. Because retirement accounts are highly regulated and the tax laws that affect them often change, they can be more difficult to administer through a trust. Therefore, we typically encourage clients to name their spouse as the primary beneficiary of retirement accounts.