---
kind: "section"
citation: "38 C.F.R. § 9.4"
title: "38"
number: "9.4"
heading: "Beneficiaries and options."
url: "https://uscodex.org/cfr/38/9.4"
---

# §9.4. Beneficiaries and options.


Any designation of beneficiary or election of settlement options is subject to the provisions of 38 U.S.C. [1970](/usc/38/1970.md) and [1977](/usc/38/1977.md) and the following provisions:

- (a) Any designation of beneficiary or settlement option election made by any member insured under Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance for full-time coverage or part-time coverage will remain in effect until properly changed by the member or canceled automatically for any of the following reasons:
  - (1) **The insurance terminates following separation or release from all duty in a uniformed service.**
  - (2) **The member enters on duty in another uniformed service.**
  - (3) The member reenters on duty in the same uniformed service more than 1 calendar day after separation or release from all duty in that uniformed service.
- (b) A change of beneficiary may be made at any time and without the knowledge or consent of the previous beneficiary.
- (c) Until and unless otherwise changed, a beneficiary designation and settlement option election of record on the date a statutory increase in coverage takes effect shall be considered to be a beneficiary and optional settlement election for the increased amount as well, and any beneficiary named therein shall be entitled to the same percentage (%) share of the new total coverage amount as that beneficiary was entitled to prior to the statutory increase in coverage.

## Notes

### Amendments

[40 FR 4135, Jan. 28, 1975, as amended at 53 FR 17699, May 18, 1988. Redesignated and amended at 61 FR 20135, 20136, May 6, 1996]

### Authority

Authority: 38 U.S.C. 501, 1965-1980A, unless otherwise noted.

### Source

Source: 40 FR 4135, Jan. 28, 1975, unless otherwise noted.

### Amendments

[40 FR 4135, Jan. 28, 1975, as amended at 53 FR 17699, May 18, 1988. Redesignated and amended at 61 FR 20135, 20136, May 6, 1996]