When someone dies, their estate consists of all of their assets. The assets get divided into two "piles". The first is the assets that are governed by the will, and those assets are called probate assets. These assets includes assets that are in the decedent's name alone, and have no beneficiaries, or joint owners. The second pile consists of assets that pass by "operation of law". this includes anything with a beneficiary named, or something that has a joint owner to whom the asset passes by right of survivorship.
If the decedent had a CD that was in joint names, or listed someone as POD (payable on death) then those assets are not governed by the will.
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