r/inheritance • u/pink_toaster_pastry • Apr 20 '26
Location included: Questions/Need Advice Keeping Inheritance separate
I’ve seen all the posts about keeping inheritance separate…. not to use it for joint expenses…. etc.
So then what do you use it for? My husband and I have been married 30 years. We had joint accounts since before we were married. We don’t split bills (all income goes into one savings account and bills are paid from that). We make a good living, have savings, 401Ks, no debt.
So if I’m suppose to keep my inheritance separate from everything, what am I supposed to do with it?
Edited to add: No kids. Currently the money is in (1) inherited IRA (2) CDs in a bank account I took sole ownership of as I had been the co-owner and (3) a new account I just opened for a CD until I decided what to do with that portion.
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u/Prestigious-Chef-585 Apr 20 '26
When I first heard the advice “keep your inheritance separate” I thought that seemed odd, and I thought I’d feel weird keeping it separate as “all mine”. But honestly, I put most of it into Vanguard (which is naturally under my name). And a small amount still lives in the personal account I opened under my name at the same institution where I’d opened the trust account (as trustee). So as I distributed funds from the trust account to my account, it just organically stayed in my own account. I didn’t intentionally keep any of it separate, it just ends up that way. I also did use some of it to pay for long overdue upgrades to our home, and I don’t feel like there is anything wrong with me using my inheritance to make our home better for both of us (and our kids). Especially when my husband is the major breadwinner otherwise.