Financial advisors for people who recently inherited.
Inherited IRA 10-year rule, step-up basis optimization, trust interpretation, real estate decisions — matched with advisors who handle inheritance planning every week.
The first six months matter most
Inheritance arrives with timelines. Inherited IRAs under the SECURE Act must be fully drained within 10 years. Step-up basis applies as of the date of death — selling appreciated stock immediately has different tax consequences than selling years later. Trust documents may require distribution decisions within 60-90 days. Generalist advisors often aren't fluent in these time-sensitive rules.
- Inherited IRA: take distributions now in a low-income year, or spread over 10 years based on your tax bracket trajectory?
- Inherited real estate: sell at step-up basis (near-zero gain) or hold for cash flow / rental income?
- Inherited brokerage: sell immediately (step-up = minimal gain) or hold and rebalance?
- Trust distributions: what does the document actually say, and what decisions are yours?
- Pay off debt or invest: the interest-rate-vs-return math with a new $500K is different than with your regular income.
- Estate tax filing: required if estate exceeds thresholds. Form 706 due 9 months from death.
Tools & guides
Inheritance Tax by State: A 2026 Guide
Which of the 5 states with inheritance tax applies to you? Rates, exemptions, and planning strategies for KY, MD, NE, NJ, and PA — plus a table of state estate taxes.
New Jersey Inheritance Tax 2026: Rates, Classes & Planning
NJ abolished its estate tax in 2018 but the inheritance tax survives. Siblings (Class C) pay 11–16% after a $25K exemption; nieces, nephews, and friends (Class D) pay 15–16% with no exemption. Complete guide to beneficiary classes, tax waivers required to release assets, filing deadlines, and how lifetime gifts eliminate the tax entirely.
Inheritance Tax Calculator
Estimate federal + state inheritance/estate tax impact based on amount, relationship to decedent, and state of residency.
Inherited IRA Annual RMD Calculator
Do annual RMDs apply to your inherited IRA — and how much must you take each year? Enter your details to see your full 10-year required minimum distribution schedule under T.D. 10001.
Inherited IRA 10-Year Drawdown Optimizer
Compare even, front-loaded, and back-loaded distribution strategies across 10 years to minimize taxes on an inherited traditional IRA.
Step-Up Basis Tax Savings Calculator
Estimate how much federal capital gains tax step-up basis saves you on inherited stocks, funds, and real estate.
Step-Up Basis: What It Is and How to Use It
A complete guide to IRC §1014 — which assets get a step-up, community property double step-up, the deathbed gift trap (§1014(e)), alternate valuation date, and 2026 capital gains rates.
Inherited IRA 10-Year Rule: A Complete 2026 Guide
Who must take annual RMDs, who can skip them, how to calculate them, and tax strategies to minimize your bill across the 10-year distribution window.
What to Do When You Inherit Money: A Complete Guide
Month-by-month playbook for the first year after an inheritance, covering IRA rules, trust distributions, tax filings, and integration with your financial plan.
What to Do With an Inherited House: Sell, Rent, or Keep?
The tax math on inherited real estate is unlike anything else. Step-up basis examples, depreciation recapture warnings, and a decision framework for every scenario.
Inheriting Through a Trust: What Beneficiaries Actually Control
Types of trusts, HEMS distribution standards, your legal rights as a beneficiary, trust income tax brackets (37% starts at $16K in 2026), and how to handle a trustee problem.
Trust as IRA Beneficiary: See-Through Rules, 10-Year Rule & Strategies
When the IRA itself names a trust as beneficiary — not you directly — the 10-year rule applies differently. A complete guide to the 4 see-through trust requirements, conduit vs. accumulation trust tax math (trusts hit 37% at $16K vs. $640K for individuals), the October 31 documentation deadline, and remediation options if the structure isn't optimal.
Inheriting a Brokerage Account: What to Do With Inherited Stocks
How step-up basis resets decades of embedded gains, when to sell vs hold inherited positions, concentrated stock decisions, and 2026 LTCG tax rates on inherited investments.
Inheriting a 401(k): What Non-Spouse Beneficiaries Must Do
Rollover mechanics, the 10-year distribution deadline, annual RMD requirements, and why accepting a check (instead of a direct transfer) triggers immediate taxation.
Inheriting a 403(b): What Non-Spouse Beneficiaries Must Do
Teachers, nurses, hospital workers, and nonprofit employees hold 403(b) accounts — and they come in two forms (custodial mutual funds and insurance annuity contracts) with different rollover mechanics. The 10-year rule applies, but annuity surrender charges and church-plan ERISA exemptions add complications a 401(k) guide won't cover. Here's the 2026 guide.
Inheriting a Pension: What Beneficiaries Need to Know
Survivor annuity vs. lump sum, PBGC guarantees ($7,789/month max at 65), FERS and military SBP rules (55% of retired pay), rollover options, and how every dollar is taxed as ordinary income. Complete 2026 guide.
Inherited Pension: Lump Sum vs. Monthly Payments Calculator
Should you take the pension lump sum or keep the monthly payments? This calculator shows your break-even age and lifetime income comparison — gross and after income tax.
What to Do With Inherited Life Insurance Money
Life insurance death benefits are income-tax-free under IRC § 101(a) — but what you do next matters. How to claim proceeds, avoid the retained-asset trap, and deploy the money wisely.
Inheriting an Annuity: Tax Rules, Options, and Decisions
Non-qualified annuities have no step-up in basis — gains are taxed as ordinary income. Your IRC §72(s) options: lump sum, 5-year rule, life expectancy stretch, or annuitize. Spousal continuation explained.
Inheritance: Pay Off Mortgage or Invest? Calculator
Should you use your inheritance to pay off the mortgage, invest it all, or split the difference? This calculator projects net worth at your chosen horizon for all three strategies and shows the break-even investment return.
Surviving Spouse Financial Checklist: What to Do After a Spouse Dies
The IRA rollover election (keep as inherited if under 59½), Social Security survivor benefits, estate tax portability election (9-month deadline), and community property double step-up — with 2026 rules and a month-by-month checklist.
Inheriting a Roth IRA: Rules, Tax Treatment & Smart Strategy
The 10-year deadline applies — but unlike a traditional inherited IRA, no annual RMDs are required. That changes everything about timing. Here's the 2026 rules on tax-free qualified distributions and the optimal 10-year withdrawal strategy.
Inheriting Savings Bonds (I Bonds & EE Bonds): Tax Rules and Options
Unlike inherited stocks, savings bonds get no step-up in basis — all accrued interest is taxable ordinary income when redeemed. How to claim bonds, use the executor election to reduce taxes, and decide whether to cash or hold.
Inheriting Cryptocurrency: Taxes, Access, and What to Do
Inherited Bitcoin or other crypto gets step-up in basis just like stocks — erasing prior gains. But accessing wallets and seed phrases is often the harder problem. A full guide to 2026 crypto inheritance tax rules, NFTs, DeFi positions, and the new IRS broker reporting requirements.
How to Invest an Inheritance: A Step-by-Step Guide
The 5-step order of operations for deploying inherited money — emergency fund, high-interest debt, tax-advantaged accounts, then taxable investing. Lump sum vs. dollar-cost averaging, and how to use the step-up basis window to rebalance without tax cost.
Charitable Giving from an Inheritance: Tax-Smart Strategies
Donate inherited stock (never sell first), redirect inherited IRA distributions as QCDs, or fund a donor-advised fund — giving from an inheritance creates tax opportunities that don't exist in ordinary years. Complete 2026 guide including the new OBBBA deduction floor.
How to Disclaim (Refuse) an Inheritance — and When It Makes Sense
A qualified disclaimer under IRC §2518 lets you redirect an inheritance to the next beneficiary with zero gift tax — but you have exactly 9 months and cannot accept any benefit first. Complete guide to the four federal requirements, IRA-specific rules, partial disclaimers, and common mistakes that void the tax treatment.
How Probate Works: A Guide for Inheritance Recipients
What probate is, which assets bypass it (IRAs, life insurance, TOD accounts), how long it takes (6 months to 3+ years depending on complexity), what it costs, and the time-sensitive steps beneficiaries must take while waiting — including the 9-month disclaimer deadline.
How to Split an Inheritance with Siblings
Dividing an estate among siblings is harder than "equal shares" suggests — especially with a house, retirement accounts, and family dynamics in the mix. How inherited accounts are claimed, what happens when siblings disagree about real estate, the step-up basis window, and how to avoid the partition lawsuit that destroys value for everyone.
Inheriting a Business Interest: LLC, S-Corp, Partnership & Family Farm
Step-up basis eliminates embedded gains on inherited business assets — but S-corps, partnerships, and sole proprietorships each have different rules. How §754 elections work for LLCs, why S-corps can't do the same, what buy-sell agreements mean for you, and the §2032A special use valuation for family farms (2026 limit: $1,460,000).
7 Costly Inheritance Mistakes to Avoid
Selling inherited stock before the step-up basis is documented, cashing out an inherited IRA in year 1, missing annual RMD deadlines, attempting a 60-day rollover as a non-spouse — these mistakes cost heirs tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars each year. What each mistake costs, and exactly how to avoid it.
Do You Inherit Your Parents' Debt?
Heirs generally do not inherit personal liability for a deceased parent's credit card debt, medical bills, or student loans — those are claims against the estate. But cosigned loans, joint accounts, community property marriages, and filial responsibility laws create real exceptions. A complete guide to what you actually owe.
Inheriting an HSA: The Tax Trap Most Beneficiaries Don't See Coming
A spouse who inherits an HSA pays zero tax — the account continues as theirs. Everyone else faces a surprise: the full balance becomes ordinary taxable income the year the owner dies. A $100,000 HSA can arrive with a $37,000 federal tax bill. How the rules work, the medical expense exception that can reduce the hit, and what HSA owners should do now to protect their heirs.
How to Choose a Financial Advisor for Inheritance Planning
Not every financial advisor understands inherited IRA rules, step-up basis appraisals, trust distributions, or the 9-month disclaimer deadline. This guide covers the 10 questions to ask before you hire, the credentials that signal real inheritance expertise, fee structures, red flags, and how to verify an advisor's background — so you hire the right specialist for the decisions you're facing now.
Is Your Inheritance Protected in a Divorce?
Inheritance is generally separate property — but commingling it with joint accounts, using it to pay a joint mortgage, or adding your spouse to an inherited property deed can convert it to marital property subject to division. What actually protects an inherited asset in divorce, how inherited IRAs are divided (no QDRO — a state DRO under IRC §408(d)(6)), and the steps to take now if divorce is possible.
Inheriting a Bank Account, CD, or Savings Account
Inherited liquid bank assets are simpler than IRAs — but there are real surprises: accrued interest is taxable as ordinary income (no step-up basis), FDIC coverage changes six months after death, and CD penalties may or may not be waived. How the three transfer mechanisms work (POD vs. joint vs. estate), how to claim the account, and what to do with the cash while you decide on a plan.
Inheriting From a Parent: What to Expect and What to Do
Most people have never been through this before. A parent's estate typically contains a mix of IRAs (10-year rule, annual RMDs), real estate (step-up basis), brokerage accounts (nearly tax-free to sell), and life insurance (income-tax-free). The decisions you make in the first 180 days can easily be worth six figures. A complete guide to every asset type, the action timeline, sibling coordination, and why a specialist matters here.
Medicaid and Inheritance: Estate Recovery, Spend-Down Rules & Your Options
Two high-stakes scenarios: your parent was on Medicaid long-term care and the state may file an estate recovery claim before you inherit anything — or you're on Medicaid yourself and just inherited money that could end your coverage. 2026 guide to Medicaid Estate Recovery (MERP), hardship waivers, Special Needs Trusts, and ABLE accounts.
Is Inherited Money Taxable? What You Actually Owe
Most inherited money is not taxable income — but the exceptions matter enormously. Cash and stepped-up brokerage accounts owe nothing. Inherited IRAs are fully taxable as ordinary income on every dollar you withdraw. A complete 2026 guide: federal estate tax (only above $15M), state inheritance tax (5 states), the IRD vs. step-up-basis split across every asset type, what tax documents to expect, and the five mistakes that cost beneficiaries the most.
How Long Does It Take to Receive an Inheritance?
Beneficiary-designated accounts (IRAs, life insurance) pay out in 2–6 weeks. Trust distributions take 3–9 months. Probate estates run 6 months to 3+ years. Here's the full timeline by asset type, what causes delays, critical deadlines that run during the wait, and what beneficiaries can do if the executor is dragging their feet.
Inheriting From a Grandparent: IRA Rules, Trusts, Taxes & What to Do
Grandparent estates more often arrive through trusts and carry unique wrinkles: generation-skipping transfer tax (40% on very large transfers, $15M exemption), California Prop 19 reassessment rules for grandchildren, and IRA distribution requirements that are the same as a parent's but less familiar. A complete 2026 guide to every asset type, the 5-state inheritance tax picture for grandchildren (spoiler: PA is the only state that taxes you), and the first 90 days.
Inheriting From a Sibling: IRA Rules, Taxes & What to Do
Sibling inheritances have a key IRA advantage: if you're within 10 years of your sibling's age (or older), you may qualify for lifetime stretch distributions instead of the 10-year liquidation rule — a difference that can be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. But NJ siblings pay 11–16% state inheritance tax and PA siblings pay 12%. A complete 2026 guide to EDB qualification, step-up basis, intestate succession, and the first 90 days.
Inheriting From an Aunt or Uncle: IRA Rules, Taxes & What to Do
Inheriting from an aunt or uncle often means two surprises: state inheritance taxes at the highest rate (15–16% in NJ, 15% in PA) and an inherited IRA 10-year rule that almost always applies — the close-in-age EDB exception that sometimes saves siblings rarely applies given the typical age gap. Kentucky just exempted this relationship class entirely effective 2026. A complete guide to every asset type and the first 90 days.
What Happens When Someone Dies Without a Will
When there's no will, state intestate succession law decides who inherits — and the results frequently surprise families. Unmarried partners and stepchildren often get nothing; estranged relatives may get everything. Here's how the priority order works (spouse → children → parents → siblings), which assets bypass intestate law entirely (IRAs, life insurance, joint accounts), what an administrator does, and what to do if you're an heir or you think a will should exist but can't find it.
Inheriting a Home With a Reverse Mortgage: What Heirs Must Do
When a parent dies with a HECM reverse mortgage, you have 6–12 months to resolve the loan — and if it's underwater, you owe at most 95% of the appraised value, not the full balance. The FHA absorbs the rest. A complete guide to the 4 heir options (sell / pay off & keep / deed in lieu / do nothing), the extension timeline, the surviving spouse exception, step-up basis, and the mistakes that cost heirs the most.
When a Minor Child Is the Beneficiary: UTMA, Trusts, IRA Rules, and Guardianship
A minor can't legally own a large inheritance directly. If no structure was set up in advance, the assets land in court-supervised guardianship — expensive, inflexible, and terminated at 18. Here's how UTMA custodian accounts, trusts, and court guardianship work, plus the special IRA rules that let a minor child of the account owner use life expectancy distributions until age 21 instead of the 10-year rule.
Inheriting a 529 Plan: Rules, Options & the SECURE 2.0 Roth Rollover
Inherited a 529 college savings plan? The new account owner can change the beneficiary to any family member, spend it on qualifying education, or — thanks to SECURE 2.0 — roll up to $35,000 lifetime directly into the beneficiary's Roth IRA, tax-free and penalty-free. A complete 2026 guide to what happens when the owner or beneficiary dies, the 529-to-Roth rollover rules (15-year account age requirement, $7,500/year limit), and no step-up in basis.
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Inheritance Advisor Match is a matching service. We connect you with vetted fee-only financial advisors in our network — we don't manage money or provide advice ourselves. Advisors in our network are fiduciaries who charge transparent fees (not product commissions), and we match you based on your specific situation.