Automatic (for the most part) changes in 401k beneficiaries

Always with their finger on the pulse, the WSJ recently published this article on changes that occur to 401k beneficiaries when a participant spouse gets divorced, remarries or dies without changing the name of his or her former spouse as beneficiary.  The rules surrounding IRAs and 401k plans are incredibly complex, and for 401k plans, there is the additional complexity of ERISA laws, which preempts California community property laws in most cases.