But remind clients first to make sure there's money outside of beneficiary designations to pay for funeral, final medical expenses, debts, mortgages, and final tax return including preparer fees.  You want to see a mess?  Think of a family of five kids where they only asset is an IRA and they are all named as beneficiaries so they collect directly.  (And show me a family of five kids where they all get along.)  

I have advised an occasional client to remove beneficiaries from an IRA, because that's where all their money is, and allow the funds to go to the estate, because it will need it to pay the bills.