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Let’s assume that whatever survivor annuity or other death benefit the plan provides a surviving spouse to meet ERISA § 205 is inapplicable or exhausted. And let’s assume that, in the circumstances, the plan provides a benefit for which it might matter to identify a beneficiary. An ERISA-governed plan’s administrator must administer the plan “in accordance with the documents and instruments governing the plan[.]” ERISA § 404(a)(1)(D). That means the governing documents, not the summary plan description (unless the plan sponsor specified the SPD is a governing document). See CIGNA Corp. v. Amara, 563 U.S. 421, 50 Empl. Benefits Cas. (BL) 2569 (May 16, 2011). But let’s imagine the plan’s governing documents too might be ambiguous. (The ways plan sponsors make plan documents, especially when using IRS-preapproved documents, often result in provisions that do not make sense using only textual interpretation.) Plan documents typically grant the plan’s administrator broad discretion to interpret a governing document and the plan’s provisions. Many BenefitsLink mavens use the shorthand RTFD for Read The F . . . abulous Document (as RatherBeGolfing recently explained it). I propose a new shorthand: ITFD for Interpret The Fouled-up Document. If the plan’s documents grant discretion, courts defer to the administrator’s reasoned interpretation. See Firestone Tire & Rubber Co. v. Bruch, 489 U.S. 101, 10 Empl. Benefits Cas. (BL) 1873 (Feb. 21, 1989). Not seeing the whole set of documents you mention, I won’t speculate about the interpretation. This is not advice to anyone.