Most estate planning conversations focus on the person leaving the assets. However, I often meet clients on the other side of that equation: they are in their 20s or 30s, or even 50s or early 60s, and suddenly become the beneficiary of their parent’s IRA or 401(k).
This article walks through the three pieces of that answer: setting a target number, mapping your income against your expenses, and stress-testing the plan against the things you can’t predict. It’s general education, not a personalized recommendation; your retirement readiness depends on your specific circumstances, and only a fiduciary advisor can build an answer for your life, not an average one.
Net worth isn’t a comparison scoreboard, just a simple snapshot: what you own minus what you owe. This article shows you how to calculate it correctly and explains why it’s a more honest measure of progress than income alone.
Net worth isn’t a comparison scoreboard, just a simple snapshot: what you own minus what you owe. This article shows you how to calculate it correctly and explains why it’s a more honest measure of progress than income alone.
Skip the card-collecting approach and match one card to your travel style. Check which airline hubs your local airport is connected to, since a co-branded card from that carrier often out-earns a flexible points card if you default to them anyway. Depending on your travel pattern, a flexible option, a premium option with stronger perks, or a hub-matched airline card could be the better fit. Run the math on what you would use against the annual fee before applying.
A private placement is an investment sold outside the public markets, typically limited to accredited investors and less regulated and transparent than a public stock or fund. What makes them different is illiquidity, higher fees, less transparency, and concentration risk. Before saying yes to any deal, know how the person offering it is compensated, what the fees are, how it fits your overall portfolio, and what happens in a worst-case scenario.
There’s no rush and no version of this you’re supposed to have figured out right away. The first 30 days are for getting oriented: identify what you inherited, locate the paperwork, and park any cash somewhere safe. From day 30 to 60, learn the rules that apply to what you received, whether that’s an inherited retirement account, an investment account, or real estate, ideally with a financial or tax professional. By day 60 to 90, you can start building a simple plan at your own pace, updating beneficiaries and deciding what role this money should play in your life. The only real deadline is getting inherited cash into a safe account; everything else can happen on your own timeline.
Take inventory of everything you own and owe, then separate your finances early to limit risk. Handle retirement accounts, beneficiary designations, and health insurance correctly before you sign anything. Think carefully before deciding on the house, know how your tax filing status will change, and build a legal and financial team you trust to guide the rest.
At Zenith Wealth Partners, we believe in helping clients understand every tool available to them. That’s why we invited Brahm Rhodes, Ph.D., co-founder of Fictive Ventures and an experienced early-stage investor, to walk through the reality of angel investing. Covering what it is, how it works, and what it actually takes to get started.
Zenith’s Chelsea Ransom-Cooper, CFP® sat down with business broker Erika Baez-Grimes, CM&AP to break down everything first-time buyers need to know about entrepreneurship through acquisition, from the silver tsunami reshaping small business ownership to the one question you should ask every seller you meet.
