Financial Advisor for Sudden Wealth & Inheritance
Receiving an inheritance, selling a business, or coming into a substantial amount of money can change your financial picture quickly. Inclinevest Wealth Management helps individuals and families make informed decisions about investing, taxes, retirement, and managing significant wealth over time.
We provide ongoing financial planning and investment management for individuals and families with substantial investable assets, including people navigating a recent inheritance or other major financial event.
Founder & Wealth Advisor
Client investments held at Charles Schwab
A significant inheritance or financial windfall can involve decisions that affect your finances for decades. You may need to decide whether to sell inherited investments, how to handle an inherited IRA, how much cash to keep available, whether to pay off debt, and how the new assets fit into your retirement and estate plans.
These decisions are connected. Selling investments can create tax consequences. Keeping a concentrated stock position can expose your finances to unnecessary risk. Taking money out of an inherited retirement account without understanding the distribution rules can create an avoidable tax bill.
Consider working with a financial advisor when an inheritance or other financial event materially changes your assets, income, taxes, or retirement plans. An advisor can help evaluate your investments, coordinate financial decisions with your CPA and estate planning attorney, and manage the assets as part of your broader financial picture.
Inclinevest works with individuals and families who want ongoing financial planning and investment management, rather than a one-time investment recommendation. Our work begins with understanding your assets, priorities, tax situation, and the decisions ahead.
What Should You Do After Receiving a Large Inheritance?
Before making major investment or spending decisions, take time to understand what you received, how the assets are titled, and which deadlines or tax rules apply.
Understand the Assets You Inherited
An inheritance may include brokerage accounts, individual stocks, retirement accounts, real estate, business interests, cash, or trust assets. Each type of asset has different tax and planning considerations.
Review Tax Consequences Before Selling
Inherited investments may receive a basis adjustment, while inherited retirement accounts generally follow separate distribution and income tax rules. The details depend on the asset and the circumstances of the inheritance.
Decide How Much Cash to Keep
You may need liquidity for taxes, near-term expenses, home purchases, debt payments, or other plans. The remaining assets can then be evaluated as part of a longer-term investment strategy.
Review Your Overall Financial Plan
A substantial inheritance can change your retirement timeline, investment allocation, charitable plans, estate strategy, and the amount of financial risk you need to take.
Inherited $1 Million? How Should You Invest It?
The right approach depends on your age, existing assets, income needs, tax situation, and financial priorities. Our guide explains how to evaluate the cash, investments, retirement implications, and common decisions that follow a $1 million inheritance.
How We Help Individuals and Families Manage Sudden Wealth
An inheritance is one type of financial transition. The same planning questions can arise after selling a business, receiving proceeds from a legal settlement, exercising equity compensation, or selling a substantial investment.
Our role is to bring your investments and financial decisions together in an ongoing plan. We coordinate with your other professionals when tax or legal questions require their expertise. Inclinevest does not provide legal or tax preparation services.
What Should You Do With Inherited Stocks and Investments?
Inherited investment accounts often contain positions that were selected by someone else, accumulated over many years, or held for reasons that no longer apply to your financial situation.
You may inherit a portfolio concentrated in one company, several individual stocks, mutual funds, or a mix of investments. The first decision should not automatically be to sell everything or keep the portfolio unchanged.
Review the Cost Basis
Many inherited capital assets receive a basis adjustment to fair market value as of the date of death, subject to applicable rules and exceptions. Confirming the correct basis is important before selling investments.
Evaluate Concentration Risk
A large position in one company can expose your financial plan to the performance of a single investment. The appropriate strategy depends on taxes, liquidity needs, and your overall portfolio.
Consider Your Existing Portfolio
Inherited assets should be evaluated alongside your existing retirement accounts, taxable investments, real estate, cash reserves, and other financial resources.
Establish a Long-Term Allocation
Your investment strategy should reflect your time horizon, expected spending, tolerance for market fluctuations, and the role these assets play in your financial plan.
For a more detailed discussion, read our guide: What to Do With Inherited Stocks: Sell, Hold, or Diversify?
How Do Taxes and Estate Planning Affect an Inheritance?
The tax treatment of inherited assets depends on what you received, how the assets were held, and the applicable federal and state rules. A brokerage account, traditional IRA, Roth IRA, trust distribution, and inherited real estate can each require a different approach.
Financial planning should account for these differences before you make major decisions.
Inherited Brokerage Accounts
Review the date-of-death valuation and cost basis, identify concentrated positions, and evaluate the tax consequences of selling or retaining investments.
Inherited Traditional IRAs
Understand beneficiary distribution requirements and how withdrawals may affect your taxable income. The applicable rules depend on the original account owner's circumstances and the beneficiary's classification.
Inherited Roth IRAs
Review the distribution rules and applicable deadlines. Qualified Roth IRA distributions may receive different tax treatment from distributions from traditional retirement accounts.
Trusts and Estate Documents
Coordinate investment decisions with the terms of the trust, distribution provisions, beneficiary designations, and your broader estate plan.
Working With Your CPA and Estate Planning Attorney
An inheritance can involve legal documents, tax elections, filing deadlines, and investment decisions that need to be coordinated. We work with your CPA and estate planning attorney so that investment management and financial planning reflect the relevant tax and estate considerations.
Your attorney handles legal advice and documents, and your CPA handles tax preparation and tax advice. Inclinevest helps connect those decisions to your investment strategy and financial plan.
How Does an Inheritance Change Your Retirement Plan?
A large inheritance may change how much you need to save, when you can retire, how much investment risk you need to take, and how you plan to use your assets over time.
For someone approaching retirement, inherited assets may provide additional flexibility around retirement timing, income withdrawals, and portfolio allocation. For someone earlier in their career, the inheritance may create opportunities to invest for long-term growth, pay down debt, or make major purchases without relying as heavily on employment income.
The planning should account for your existing resources rather than treating the inheritance as a separate investment account.
Retirement Income
Evaluate how inherited assets can support future spending, alongside Social Security, pensions, retirement accounts, and other sources of income.
Investment Risk
Reassess how much market risk is appropriate given your total assets, spending needs, and expected time horizon.
Charitable Giving
Consider whether charitable gifts, donor-advised funds, or other giving strategies fit your priorities and tax situation.
Family and Estate Planning
Review beneficiary designations, gifting plans, trust arrangements, and how you may eventually transfer assets to the next generation.
What Is the Process for Working With Inclinevest?
We begin by learning about your financial situation and determining whether our ongoing advisory relationship is a good fit.
Initial Conversation
Discuss the inheritance or financial event, your current investments, financial priorities, and the questions you need to address.
Review Your Financial Picture
Evaluate your assets, liabilities, income, tax considerations, retirement plans, and existing investment accounts.
Establish Your Strategy
Develop an investment and financial planning strategy that accounts for your objectives, time horizon, and the role of your newly acquired assets.
Ongoing Management
Manage your investments, monitor your financial plan, coordinate with other professionals, and revisit decisions as your circumstances change.
Inclinevest focuses on ongoing investment management and comprehensive financial planning. We are generally a fit for individuals and families seeking a continuing advisory relationship rather than a one-time financial plan or hourly consultation.
Why Work With a Fee-Only Fiduciary Financial Advisor?
When you receive a substantial inheritance or experience a major financial event, you may encounter investment recommendations from banks, brokerage firms, insurance agents, and other financial professionals. Their compensation structures and responsibilities can differ.
Inclinevest Wealth Management is a Colorado-based, fee-only fiduciary registered investment adviser serving clients nationwide. We are compensated by our advisory clients, not by commissions from investment products or insurance sales.
Fee-Only Compensation
Our compensation comes from advisory fees paid by clients. We do not receive commissions for selling investment products or insurance.
Fiduciary Responsibility
We act as a fiduciary when providing investment advice, with a responsibility to act in the best interests of our advisory clients.
Investment Management and Planning
Your investment portfolio and financial plan are considered together, including retirement, cash flow, taxes, and estate-related decisions.
Custody at Charles Schwab
Client investment assets are held at Charles Schwab, an independent qualified custodian. Inclinevest does not take custody of client investment assets.
Colorado-Based Financial Advisor Serving Clients Nationwide
Inclinevest is based in Colorado and works with individuals and families throughout the United States. Our advisory relationship combines investment management with financial planning for clients navigating complex financial decisions, including inheritance, retirement, concentrated investments, and significant wealth transitions.
Learn more about our firm, investment approach, and advisory relationship: About Inclinevest Wealth Management and Services & Fees.
Who Is a Good Fit for Inclinevest?
We work with individuals and families who have accumulated or recently received substantial assets and want ongoing investment management and financial planning.
Our clients may include:
- Individuals who inherited $1 million or more in investments or other financial assets.
- Families receiving inherited brokerage accounts, retirement accounts, or trust distributions.
- Professionals and executives who have accumulated significant investment assets.
- Business owners who have sold a company or are preparing for a liquidity event.
- Individuals with concentrated stock positions or substantial equity compensation.
- People approaching retirement who need to coordinate investments, taxes, and future income.
Many of our relationships involve $1 million or more in investable assets. The appropriate advisory relationship depends on the assets involved, the services needed, and the complexity of the financial situation.
Based in Colorado, Inclinevest serves clients nationwide through an ongoing financial planning and investment management relationship.
Have You Recently Received an Inheritance or Significant Financial Windfall?
If you have received a substantial inheritance, sold a business, or experienced another major financial event, an introductory conversation can help determine whether Inclinevest is the right advisory firm for your needs.
We can discuss your current situation, the decisions ahead, and how an ongoing financial planning and investment management relationship may fit.
Colorado-based fiduciary financial advisor · Serving clients nationwide · Investments held at Charles Schwab
Frequently Asked Questions About Inheritance and Financial Advice
Do I need a financial advisor after inheriting $1 million?
A $1 million inheritance can materially change your investment portfolio, tax situation, retirement plans, and estate planning needs. A financial advisor can help evaluate how the assets fit into your existing financial picture and establish an investment strategy. The need for ongoing advice depends on your circumstances and the level of help you want managing the assets.
Read our guide: I Inherited $1 Million. How Should I Invest It?
Should I invest an inheritance all at once or gradually?
The decision depends on your current investments, cash needs, risk tolerance, and investment strategy. Investing a lump sum immediately and investing gradually have different risk and market exposure characteristics. The decision should be considered in the context of your full financial plan.
Do I have to pay taxes on inherited investments?
The tax treatment depends on the type of asset. Inherited taxable investments may receive a basis adjustment under applicable rules, while inherited traditional retirement accounts generally have distribution requirements and may create taxable income when money is withdrawn. Estate and state tax considerations may also apply.
Should I sell inherited stocks?
Not necessarily. Before selling, review the cost basis, concentration risk, investment outlook, tax consequences, and how the position fits into your overall portfolio. Keeping the shares may make sense in some situations, while reducing a concentrated position may be appropriate in others.
See our guide: What to Do With Inherited Stocks: Sell, Hold, or Diversify?
Can a financial advisor help with an inherited IRA?
An advisor can help evaluate inherited IRA distribution requirements, coordinate withdrawals with your broader financial plan, and assess the effect of distributions on your taxable income. The applicable rules depend on the beneficiary and the original account owner's circumstances. Tax questions should also be reviewed with your CPA.
Should I pay off my mortgage with an inheritance?
Paying off a mortgage may reduce monthly expenses and provide greater financial flexibility, but it also moves money from liquid investments into home equity. Compare the mortgage rate, available cash, investment portfolio, tax considerations, and your plans for the funds before making the decision.
Can Inclinevest coordinate with my CPA and estate planning attorney?
Yes. We can coordinate investment management and financial planning with your CPA and estate planning attorney. This can help connect investment decisions with tax planning, trust provisions, beneficiary arrangements, charitable giving, and estate planning. Legal and tax advice remain with your respective professionals.
Where is Inclinevest Wealth Management based?
Inclinevest Wealth Management is based in Colorado and serves clients nationwide. We work with individuals and families throughout the United States through ongoing financial planning and investment management relationships.
Where are client investments held?
Client investment assets are held at Charles Schwab, an independent qualified custodian. Schwab provides custody and account services, while Inclinevest provides investment management and financial planning.
How does Inclinevest charge for financial planning and investment management?
Inclinevest charges advisory fees based on assets under management. The fee schedule and scope of services are discussed before entering an advisory relationship. For larger relationships, including those involving $10 million or more, fees may be individually negotiated based on assets managed, complexity, and the services required.
Review the current details on our Services & Fees page.
Does Inclinevest provide one-time financial plans?
Inclinevest focuses on ongoing investment management and financial planning relationships. We generally do not provide standalone financial plans or hourly consultations.
Let's Discuss Your Financial Situation
Whether you recently inherited investment assets, received a trust distribution, sold a business, or accumulated substantial wealth over time, we can discuss your priorities and whether our advisory services are a good fit.
Inclinevest is based in Colorado, serves clients nationwide, and holds client investment assets at Charles Schwab.
About the Author
Gabe Motta, CFP®, MBA, AWMA™ is the founder of Inclinevest Wealth Management, a Colorado-based fee-only fiduciary registered investment adviser serving clients nationwide. Gabe has more than 20 years of experience in financial services, including wealth planning and investment management for high-net-worth individuals and families.
Inclinevest provides ongoing financial planning and investment management for professionals, executives, retirees, and families with substantial assets. Client investment assets are held at Charles Schwab. Learn more about Gabe and Inclinevest Wealth Management.
