Over the next two decades, Baby Boomers are expected to pass down more than $84 trillion1, making it the largest wealth transfer in U.S. history. For many families, this inheritance represents a life-changing opportunity, but it also comes with important financial challenges. Navigating an Inheritance: What to Do First Before making any decisions, take time to process your loss. Once you’re ready, gather all key legal and financial documents such as wills, trusts, account statements, and property titles. Not all assets are taxed or distributed the same, so understanding what you’ve inherited is essential. For example, an inherited IRA from a non-spouse falls under the SECURE Act and must be emptied within 10 years of the original owner’s death. If a trust is named a beneficiary, the tax bill can hit faster, so it’s important to establish that quickly. A taxable brokerage account is simpler because you get a step 11up in basis to the date 11of 11death value, meaning little or no capital 11gains tax if you sell soon. Non 11qualified annuities are trickier. Earnings come out first and are taxed as ordinary income, and most contracts force you to cash out within five years or start lifetime payouts. Common Inheritance Mistakes to Avoid Without careful estate planning, it’s easy to make costly mistakes. One example is naming a trust as a contingent IRA beneficiary without understanding the tax implications. Another is leaving an IRA to one pers
It’s important to plan for the future, especially when it comes to your legacy. That conversation can be a delicate one, but nevertheless, it’s important. When you think about your final wishes and making sure they are followed, you may also be thinking of your family, friends, and loved ones, and how you want to provide for them, even in a future you can’t be part of. Having the right estate plan in place can help you do this. According to CNBC, 67% of Americans do not have an estate plan explaining they just “…haven’t gotten around to it.” In that same survey, 12% of respondents said they do not know how to get a will. A 2019 Brookdale Senior Living poll, a company that operates retirement homes across the country, showed that 40% of Americans don’t know what’s in their parents’ wills and 30% don’t know if their parents even have a will. Boston College reported that “...roughly $59 trillion will be transferred from approximately 94 million estates in America between 2007 and 2061.” Of that 59 trillion, they report that “... beneficiaries will receive $36 trillion between 2007 and 2061, and $5.6 trillion will go to federal estate taxes.” This is where we can help. At Lineweaver Financial Group and Lineweaver Wealth Advisors, we offer two different paths with a range of options to meet every need. First, we work closely aside many elder law and estate planning attorneys who can work