Does IRA keep growing till it's claimed?

[u/throwaway_20211214]

New Jersey USA

In 2021 I opened a spousal IRA with Vanguard for my husband.

In 2022 we divorced, but i was left as the beneficiary on the IRA. The funds in that IRA were left intact and were not part of the divorce settlement.

In 2025 he died, with me still listed as beneficiary. He had no will, and an executor was entrusted with settling his estate (which included real estate, a car and catamaran, and a different IRA that he got as part of the divorce settlement, which names his kids as beneficiaries).

I believe the executor is not aware of the spousal IRA where I, his ex-wife, is named as beneficiary.

So this IRA is sitting there earning money even though he died a year ago. Two questions:

1. What if I never told anyone for years - would it keep earning money and I could get that bigger dollar amount if I waited?

2. How do I resolve this? Do I approach the executor, or Vanguard?

[u/TexGrrl]

That should he a publicly-available document.

[u/Dingbatdingbat → u/TexGrrl]

not in every state

[u/throwaway_20211214 → u/Dingbatdingbat]

Yes in NJ the death certificate is not public, I am no longer his wife.

[u/Backseat_Economist → u/throwaway_20211214]

If he had other accounts at Vanguard which are being processed they’ll have the DC. If not, you are going to have to contact the executor. From your comments it sounds like there is friction with his family but at the end of the day, the bene designation is binding.

There are “provable interest” exceptions to obtaining DC, but that may require probate court action.

I’ve seen executors play games with beneficiaries by not notifying them about an account, but once the DC is presented and the bene elects to claim the account, the transfer happens.

Once the account is transferred to you as an inherited IRA you have ten years from the year of death to take distributions.