Why do beneficiary designations override my will for life insurance?

Life insurance passes by contract, not by your will. The beneficiary you name on the policy is a binding instruction to the insurer, and it controls who gets the money regardless of what your will says, because the proceeds never become part of your probate estate. This is why an outdated beneficiary form is one of the most common and costly estate mistakes: people update their will after a divorce or remarriage but forget the policy, and the ex-spouse or a deceased relative still collects. The lesson is to review beneficiary designations on every life insurance policy, along with retirement accounts and payable-on-death registrations, after any major life change, and not to assume your will fixes them. The form wins, so keep it current.