The concept of per stirpes means:

• A. Among surviving spouses only
• B. Equally among living beneficiaries regardless of generation
• C. To the deceased beneficiary's descendants in their own branch
• D. Per capita among all living beneficiaries

Answer: (C)

Per stirpes distributes a beneficiary’s share by family branch, so the portion that would have gone to a deceased beneficiary is allocated to that beneficiary’s own descendants in their branch. This keeps the inheritance aligned with the family line rather than simply splitting everything among the surviving individuals. For example, if there are three beneficiaries and one dies before the insured leaving two grandchildren, that deceased beneficiary’s share goes to those grandchildren in equal parts, while the other two beneficiaries retain their own shares. If there are no descendants in that branch, the share would then be handled according to the policy’s terms and the remaining beneficiaries.