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Retirement Account Inventory (Large Print)
By Jason Su · Updated October 26, 2026
The standard Retirement Account Inventory lists every retirement account and who is named to receive it. This large-print version gives each account its own row, with the label in a left column and room to write. It keeps the one column that decides everything: who is named as the beneficiary.
A retirement account does not usually follow the will. It follows the name on the form. That makes the beneficiary column the one that matters most on this sheet.
What changed from the standard sheet
- One account per row, with the label in a left column and a tall box to write in.
- The beneficiary column is kept. The name on the account, not the will, decides who receives it, so that column is the whole point.
- A short “who to tell” section, so the accounts that name nobody are caught before they end up in the estate.
Making it bigger still
- Set the print scale to 125% in your browser’s print dialog (Chrome and Edge: More settings → Scale).
- Print on legal paper if you have it — same layout, more room.
Write in black ink. Fill the beneficiary column for every account — an empty box there is the most expensive blank on this sheet.
The sheet
The accounts
| Retirement account | Where held | Named beneficiary |
|---|---|---|
| Traditional IRA | ||
| Roth IRA | ||
| 401(k) or 403(b) | ||
| Pension | ||
| Annuity | ||
| HSA or brokerage |
Who to tell, and where things are kept
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Which account names nobody, or names the estate | |
| Which has a backup beneficiary | |
| Where the statements and logins are | |
| Who knows where this sheet is |
How to use it
- List every retirement account, including the one from a job you left years ago. Old 401(k)s are the ones most often forgotten, and they are the ones with the stale beneficiary name.
- Fill the beneficiary column for all of them. An empty box is the most expensive blank on this sheet — see the standard Retirement Account Inventory for why.
- Check the backup beneficiary. If the first name is gone and no backup is listed, the account can fall into a slow process.
- Keep this sheet private. It has account names and beneficiaries, so it belongs in a locked place, not on the fridge.
Frequently asked
Does a retirement account follow the will?
Usually not. The account pays to the name on the beneficiary form, even if the will says something different. That is why the column matters more than any paragraph in a will.
What happens if the account names nobody?
Then it becomes part of the estate, which usually means the slower process. Review your beneficiaries once a year, and add a backup for each account. See how to update your retirement beneficiaries.
Why do old 401(k)s matter more?
Because the beneficiary name on an old account is often years out of date — an ex-spouse, a long-gone friend. The account still pays that name unless you change it.
Next step
Log into each retirement account today and write the account and its beneficiary in the first table. Then check the backup beneficiary for every one — a fifteen-minute job that decides more than most of the paperwork around it.
This is a record sheet, not financial or legal advice. Retirement account rules, beneficiary rules, and required minimums differ by account type and change over time — confirm the details with your plan administrator and the IRS.