Windfall Clarity Assessment

You didn't ask for this.
You just need to not blow it.
That's a different question than most tools answer.

"You're not trusting us with your money. With the analysis that helps you make the decisions on what to do with it."

An inheritance, a business sale, a divorce settlement. Sudden wealth comes with one job: don't make permanent mistakes under temporary pressure. The advisors calling you have a fee structure. This doesn't.

  • ✓Your full windfall picture organized — what you have, what it's costing you in taxes, what decisions are time-sensitive
  • ✓The first six months mapped: what can wait, what can't, and why you don't need to move fast
  • ✓A clear framework for the fee-only fiduciary question: when you need one, when you don't, and how to find a real one

No advisor in the room. No commission on the outcome. Just the picture.

Your Windfall Clarity Report
What's time-sensitive. What can wait. What to do first.
Start your assessment →
Free · Private · Takes 4 min
60%+
Of inheritors leave the windfall in cash for over 12 months — paralysis is the most common first response, not a mistake
Vanguard Behavioral Research
$765K
Median inheritance expected in the US Great Wealth Transfer over the next two decades — most arriving to people with no prior wealth experience
Cerulli Associates 2023
6 states
That have an inheritance tax. If you're not in one of them, the tax question most people worry about doesn't apply to you
Tax Foundation 2024
What this is and isn't

The people calling you want to manage your money.
We don't.

NettWorth is
  • ✓Decision support: the trade-offs on your own situation, laid out so you can decide
  • ✓Financial memory: your picture, organized, so decisions are based on the full picture
  • ✓No commission. Subscription only. We make money when you're informed, not when money moves.
  • ✓A complement to a fee-only CFP, not a replacement for one
NettWorth is not
  • ×A wealth advisor
  • ×A robo-advisor or investment manager
  • ×A platform that earns anything when you invest or move money
  • ×A tool that requires you to have a plan before you start
From the NettWorth Research Library
What to Do in the First Six Months After Inheriting
The advisors calling you want you to move fast. That's not in your interest. A practical sequence for the first 180 days.
Read →
Basis Step-Up: The Tax Benefit Most Inheritors Miss
Your inherited assets reset to date-of-death value. Decades of capital gains just disappeared. Here's what that means and how to use it.
Read →
You Didn't Earn This Money. That Doesn't Mean You'll Lose It.
The imposter feeling that comes with sudden wealth is normal. It also creates specific irrational behaviors. Here's what's actually happening.
Read →
Questions & Answers

Do I need to pay taxes on money I inherited?

Most US inheritors pay no inheritance tax. Only six states have an inheritance tax (Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Nebraska, New Jersey, Pennsylvania), and none apply to spouses. The federal estate tax applies only to estates over $13.61 million. What you will owe taxes on: distributions from an inherited IRA (treated as ordinary income), interest and dividends from inherited brokerage assets going forward, and capital gains if you sell inherited assets that have appreciated since you inherited them. The cost basis on inherited assets resets to the date-of-death value — this is called a 'step-up in basis' and it eliminates decades of capital gains that the original owner would have owed.

What should I do with money sitting in an inherited brokerage account?

The short answer: you don't need to do anything immediately. Leaving assets in a money market fund or short-term treasuries while you get oriented is not a mistake — it's often the right default. The time-sensitive item is understanding your cost basis (the step-up in basis resets it to date-of-death value, which is valuable to document). The non-time-sensitive items: asset allocation decisions, investment strategy, trust structures. Most inheritors take 6-18 months to make substantive allocation decisions. That is normal.

How do I find a fee-only fiduciary financial advisor for an inheritance?

Three registries list only fee-only fiduciary advisors: NAPFA (napfa.org), the Garrett Planning Network (garrettplanningnetwork.com), and XY Planning Network (xyplanningnetwork.com). A fee-only fiduciary charges you directly — either hourly, flat fee, or percentage of assets — and has a legal obligation to act in your interest. This is categorically different from commission-based advisors who earn money when assets move. Many inheritors do well with a one-time engagement (a few hours, flat fee) rather than ongoing AUM management. Separately: NettWorth is not a substitute for a fee-only CFP. It's a different tool — financial memory and analysis rather than personalized advice. For many people, both are useful.