Inheritance Can Destroy A Family Or Be A Life-Changing Gift

Here's how I advise my clients as an estate-planning attorney.
Story by insider@insider.com (Jen Glantz)

Dana Blue is an estate-planning attorney who helps families navigate assets after a loved one dies.  Inheritances can create an opportunity to purchase a house, return to school, or run a business.  They can also tear siblings apart and lead to losing a family legacy or even bankruptcy.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Dana Blue, a 44-year-old estate planning, probate, and real estate attorney in Philadelphia. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

I’m a Tax Expert: 3 Records You Should Keep Indefinitely Once Your Taxes Are Filed

Kerra Bolton   Fri, March 14, 2025  GOBankingRates

While it could be tempting to throw away documents after filing tax returns, doing so could put you at financial and legal risk. Maintaining certain financial records indefinitely can safeguard against future tax disputes, facilitate asset management and ensure compliance.

 “It is important to keep documents that affect future years forever, such as documents related to losses that have created carryovers, agreements and investment records, which may create future cash basis,” said Crystal Stranger, senior tax director and CEO of Optic Tax.

Grow Money Like the Rockefeller Family– 5 Ways They Created Generational Wealth

Caitlyn Moorhead  Thu, March 13, 2025   GOBankingRates

There is no way around the Rockefeller name being associated with money, as it’s synonymous with immense wealth and the realization of the American Dream. The family’s fortune, established by America’s first billionaire John D. Rockefeller Sr., the founder of the Standard Oil Company in the late 19th century, has endured for generations, making the Rockefellers one of the wealthiest families in history.

In large part, this massive amount of money was thanks to the following factors:

8 Key Signs of a Quiet Millionaire, According to Rachel Cruze

Ashley Donohoe  Thu, March 13, 2025  GOBankingRates

When you think about millionaires, you might picture people who visibly show off their expensive things or who got rich by receiving an inheritance or making one lucky investment.

However, the National Study of Millionaires by Ramsey Solutions showed that millionaires more often built their wealth by more ordinary means, like stashing funds in a 401(k), and many didn’t even earn extremely high salaries. It can even be hard to tell who is rich sometimes.

A recent YouTube video from financial expert Rachel Cruze looked at eight common signs that can help you identify “quiet” millionaires.

4 Types of Financial Documents You Should Keep Together at All Times in Case of Emergency — Here’s Why

Adam Palasciano  Tue, March 11, 2025  GOBankingRates

Life is full of the unexpected. You never know when you may find yourself in dire straits or faced with an emergency that’s totally out of your control. Sadly, Americans are affected by weather-related disasters now more than ever before.

According to the NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), 2024 alone was full of “billion-dollar” weather-related natural disasters: There were 27 individual weather and climate disasters with at least $1 billion in damages, which is only one less than the record of 28 events in 2023. Last year’s natural disasters took nearly 600 lives and cost approximately $182.7 billion in total.

3 Ways To Avoid Being Exploited As You Get Older

‘They left us with nothing’: This elderly couple was evicted from their home of 20 years — after their son transferred ownership. 3 ways to avoid being exploited as you get older

Serah Louis   Sun, September 24, 2023

An elderly California couple was devastated when they were served an eviction notice in April for the home they’d been making regular payments on for two decades.

Ismael and Angelita Ramirez purchased their home back in 2003 with their son, who told them they didn’t need to include their name on the title.

How To Handle Cash Savings Of Deceased Parents

Liz Weston   Sun, March 9, 2025  LA Times

Dear Liz: My mother passed away a little over a year ago, and my father about 18 months prior to her. I discovered that my parents saved up quite a lot of cash (in the six figures), and I'm afraid to deposit it without triggering the IRS.

My parents routinely saved anywhere from $5,000 to up to $20,000 per year for the last 30 years. I read my mom's handwriting on the envelopes with the dates. How can I deposit all this without triggering the IRS? Some of the bills are “vintage” so I will keep them to see if they're worth more than face value. I also thought about using it to buy real estate.

7 Worst Mistakes Boomers Can Make With Money — and How To Avoid Them

Cindy Lamothe    Sun, March 9, 2025   GOBankingRates

Every generation comes with its own set of challenges and opportunities. For boomers, there are certain fumbles they can make with money that will significantly hinder their financial situation in retirement.

 “Boomers often face financial pitfalls that can jeopardize their retirement,” said Stewart Willis, President of Asset Preservation Wealth & Tax.

Below are some of the worst mistakes and how to avoid them.

7 Things Wealthy People Do With Their Money (That You Should Also Be Doing)

Jennifer Taylor  Sun, March 2, 2025  GOBankingRates

Wealthy people have a track record of making some pretty serious money moves. When you have that much wealth, a whole world of opportunities opens up for you. For the rest of us, these strategies can feel completely out of reach.

It’s true to an extent, but even the wealthy elite are following some core principles any of us can adopt. If you’re interested in growing your net worth, consider taking a page from their book. These are some tried and true things the super-rich do with their money that any of us can do.

5 Things Wealthy Parents Teach Their Kids That the Middle Class Might Not

Dawn Allcot  Mon, Mar 3, 2025,

It’s often said, especially in the United States, that the rich get richer. It’s obviously easier to build wealth if you already have money to invest, a financial education and successful parents who can guide you.

For instance, Amazon may not exist today if Jeff Bezos’ parents’ had not shelled out close to $250,000 in start-up capital so he could launch the online bookstore in his garage, as widely reported by multiple sources. But it wasn’t just their cash that gave the young entrepreneur a leg up. In an article published by People, Bezos referred to his parents as “loving and supportive.”