Services/No. 05
Included in the advisory fee

Inherited money comes with deadlines and traps

Inherited IRAs, step-up in basis, and a sudden pile of decisions — handled calmly, in the right order, by a CFP® professional and Enrolled Agent.

Book a free intro call → See the fee schedule

Grief and money decisions arrive together. They shouldn't be handled together.

An inheritance usually lands during one of the hardest seasons of life. Then come the account forms, the 10-year distribution clock, a house to deal with, and everyone from brokers to brothers-in-law offering opinions.

Almost nothing has to be decided this week. Our first job is to tell you which decisions are actually urgent, which are expensive to rush, and which can wait until you can breathe. Then we build the plan — with the tax rules handled by someone licensed in them.

What You Get
From windfall to lasting wealth
No. 1
Triage: what's urgent, what's not
A clear list of real deadlines — required distributions, disclaimers, elections — separated from everything that can and should wait. No rushed decisions.
No. 2
Inherited IRA strategy
Most non-spouse beneficiaries must empty inherited retirement accounts within 10 years — and the timing of those withdrawals can swing the tax bill enormously. We spread them across your lowest-bracket years, deliberately.
No. 3
Step-up in basis, used well
Inherited taxable assets generally reset to date-of-death value. That often means appreciated stock or property can be sold or diversified with little or no capital gains tax — if it's handled before new gains build up.
No. 4
The house, the stock, the stuff
Keep, sell, or rent the property. Hold or diversify the concentrated stock. What to do with collections and heirlooms with more meaning than market. We run the numbers so the choice is informed, not emotional.
No. 5
A plan for the proceeds
Debt, reserves, investing, giving, and the goals this money makes possible — sequenced into a written plan, then invested tax-aware alongside everything else you own.
No. 6
Coordination with the estate
We work with the executor, attorney, and other heirs' timelines — and handle the tax filings the inheritance itself creates, from final returns to estimated payments on new income.

One fee covers the whole relationship

Inheritance planning is one of five services included in the advisory fee. The others come with it — not as add-ons.

No. 01
Investment Management
Tax-aware portfolios built around your goals and timeline.
No. 02
Retirement Planning
Social Security timing, withdrawal order, and income that lasts.
No. 03
Tax Planning
Year-round strategy from an Enrolled Agent, built into every decision.
No. 04
Estate & Legacy
Beneficiaries, titling, and coordination with your attorney.

Blended advisory fee from 1.50% to 0.75%, no account minimum. See the full fee schedule →

Common Questions
Fair questions, straight answers
I just inherited an IRA. What do I actually have to do right now?
Usually less than you fear, but a few things matter early: don't cash it out reflexively, don't roll it into your own IRA if you're a non-spouse (that mistake is irreversible), and get the account properly retitled as an inherited IRA. Then the real planning — the withdrawal schedule — can be done calmly.
Will I owe tax on my inheritance?
Arizona has no inheritance tax, and federal estate tax is the estate's concern, not yours — very few estates owe it. What usually does get taxed is what happens next: withdrawals from inherited retirement accounts are ordinary income, and gains after the date of death are yours. That's where planning earns its keep.
Should I pay off my mortgage, invest, or something else?
The honest answer is "it depends on numbers we can actually run" — your rate, your brackets over the next decade, your goals, and how the inherited assets are taxed. That analysis is exactly what the plan is for. What we won't do is push the money toward whatever pays an advisor most; nothing here pays a commission.
The estate is still being settled. Is it too early to talk?
It's the ideal time. Decisions made during settlement — disclaimers, which assets fund which bequests, how accounts are retitled — can't be undone later. A short conversation now often prevents the expensive kind of permanent.
Do I have to move the money to you to get help?
No. If ongoing management fits, inheritance planning is included in the advisory fee. If you just want the decisions made right, an hourly or flat-fee engagement can produce the written plan and you can execute it anywhere.
Next Step

Before you decide anything, know your deadlines

A free 30-minute call to sort the urgent from the optional. No pressure, no pitch.

Book a free intro call →

Not sure yet? Take the 60-second fit quiz

Golden Acre Wealth Management LLC is an investment adviser registered with the Arizona Corporation Commission (CRD #337930). Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. All fees are negotiable and are described fully in the firm's Form ADV Part 2A, available upon request or at adviserinfo.sec.gov. Inherited-account rules vary by beneficiary type and date of death; examples on this page are general in nature. Golden Acre Wealth Management does not provide legal services. This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment, tax, or legal advice. Past performance is not indicative of future results. CFP® and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® are certification marks owned by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc., awarded to individuals who successfully complete CFP Board's initial and ongoing certification requirements.