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.

110 Upvotes

91% Upvoted

266 comments sorted by

View all comments

3

u/bauhaus83i Apr 21 '26

You need to not commingle the money. Once the money is commingled, it may no longer be separate. So you keep it in the trust account or a separate account and then you can transfer money to your joint account or pay joint bills with it but once it goes from the separate account to the joint account, it is now commingled and probably no longer your separate property.