Saving: What to do with an inheritance: a calm plan for the first year
What to do with an inheritance starts with doing nothing for a while: put it somewhere safe, sort out any tax or paperwork, then work through costly debt, your emergency fund and longer-term goals. There's no rush to decide.
By Wealtie Team · 3 min read
Key takeaways
- Put an inheritance in a safe, separate account first, and give yourself a few months before big decisions.
- Check whether any tax applies and keep the paperwork, since rules differ by country.
- Clearing high-interest debt and filling your emergency fund are usually the first good uses.
- For a large sum, a regulated adviser can help with investing, pensions and tax.
What should you do first with an inheritance?
Put it somewhere safe and give yourself time. Receiving money after someone dies often comes with grief, family conversations and paperwork, and that's not the best moment for big money decisions. A few months' pause costs very little. Notice how you feel about the money, too. Some people feel guilty spending inherited money, and others want to spend it quickly. Both are normal, and recognising them helps you make decisions you'll be glad of later.
Keep it in a separate savings account, ideally one covered by your country's deposit protection, so it doesn't mix with everyday money. Where to keep your emergency fund explains deposit protection.
Do you need to pay tax on an inheritance?
It depends on where you live and how the estate's handled. In some countries, the estate pays any tax before money is passed on. In others, the person receiving it may owe tax, or there may be tax on any income or gains the money earns after you get it.
Check with your tax authority or an adviser, and keep every document the executor gives you. If you've received property or investments rather than cash, the rules can be different again. An inherited property can also bring costs before you sell or let it, like maintenance, insurance, utilities and taxes, so budget for those.
What's a sensible order for using it?
Much the same as for any windfall. Here's one way to split 20,000, in round numbers that work in any currency:
| Where it goes | Amount | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Credit card balance | 3,000 | Stops costly interest |
| Emergency fund | 6,000 | Several months of costs |
| A goal, like a home deposit | 6,000 | Something you're already saving for |
| Longer-term saving or pension | 3,000 | For later |
| Yours to enjoy | 2,000 | Something meaningful |
Debt with a high interest rate comes first, because it costs more than savings can earn. Pay off debt or save explains the trade-off. Then the emergency fund, then goals. If you've no costly debt and a full emergency fund already, the first two lines go straight to your goals.
Should you pay off your mortgage with it?
Possibly, but not before the emergency fund and costlier debts. Money paid into a house is hard to get back if you need it. If you're thinking about it, check whether your lender limits overpayments. Should you pay off your mortgage early goes through the numbers.
Should you invest it?
Money you won't need for at least five years can be a candidate for investing, once the earlier steps are done. Money for a goal within a few years is better in savings. Should I save or invest has the reasoning.
If you've never invested before, a large sum is a reason to learn slowly, not quickly. For a large sum, a regulated financial adviser can help you think through investing, pensions and tax together. Check they're authorised by your country's regulator and understand how they're paid.
Is it OK to spend some of it?
Yes. Setting aside a part to enjoy, or to spend on something that would have meant something to the person you've lost, is reasonable. Decide the amount in advance, so it doesn't grow quietly.
What about family?
Inheritances can bring up expectations and tension, especially if siblings or relatives feel things weren't divided fairly, or ask you for help. Take your time before agreeing to lend or give money, and write down any agreements, like a sibling's share of a shared asset. Should you lend money to a friend covers the same principles for family.
If you share finances with a partner, talk about whether it's treated as shared money or yours. In some places this can matter legally too, so it's worth understanding the rules where you live.
What should you avoid?
Quick decisions under pressure, and leaving the money in your everyday account, where it drifts into ordinary spending. Be wary of anyone who contacts you offering investments soon after a death, of "guaranteed" returns, and of being rushed. Changing your lifestyle permanently, like a bigger home with a bigger mortgage, is worth thinking about carefully, since one-off money can't pay ongoing costs forever.
How do you keep track of it in Wealtie?
Add the inheritance as its own savings account and move money out as transfers when you've decided where it goes. Transfers aren't counted as spending, so your budget tracker isn't affected. Your net worth tracker shows each pot as you fill it.
Questions people ask
Put it somewhere safe and wait a few months, check any tax, then clear high-interest debt and fill your emergency fund before bigger decisions.
High-interest debt is usually a good first use, since it costs more than savings earn. Build an emergency fund before paying off low-interest debt like a mortgage.
Sometimes, depending on your country. In some places the estate pays any tax before money is passed on, and in others the person receiving it may owe tax.
For a large sum, a regulated adviser can help with investing, pensions and tax. Check they're authorised and understand how they're paid.
This article is general information, not financial, tax or legal advice. Your situation is your own; check the numbers that apply to you before you act on them.
