Brokerage firms are bound by federal and state law regarding the distribution of assets after death. They also have to worry about potentially being sued if they do something a potential beneficiary might not like.
The debate about whether a budget is a necessity or a waste of time often centers on a fundamentally flawed definition of budgeting. The exercise of budgeting shouldn’t be designed to limit you, but to give you the freedom to spend money in the manner you wish to spend it.