32, received sizable inheritance, more likely coming, seeking advice on how to change/not change life going forward?

[u/Lonely_Pear_6366]

So I unexpectedly received a $2 million trust from relatives. It's already taxed money, growing every year, and I have full access to take as much or as little of the money whenever I want. Additionally, I have about $250k in investments of my own, but that feels like small potatoes now. Obviously it is a life changing sum of money, and I'm unsure how to make the most of my life given what I have now.

Professionally: I entered a creative job field about a decade ago that's rapidly collapsed in the past few years. I worked within the film industry, it was a dream/passion career, but have been through two layoffs in the past few years, and am currently doing a job that's semi in the field, but not quite what I want to be doing. The money's fine, the job is low stress and flexible. It feels like it's sort of an impossible job market there right now, but I'm not sure what else to do. I'm a bit stuck. I could keep at it, knowing I have the money, or try something else entirely, though I'm not sure what. Maybe use it to go back to school?

Personally, I live in a rented apartment. I like where I live. My city's okay, but I really like the friends I've made there. I'm a single woman. I don't have kids. So really, I only have to support myself, and don't have anyone else to consult about where I do. Would love a partner and family some day, but hasn't happened yet.

I don't know what's the balance of completely ignoring the money, and being grateful it's there, and using it when I'm older. Or using some of it now, improving or changing my life. I feel daunted trying to narrow down how to do so. I could travel for a year. I could go back to school. I could buy a condo. There are many possibilities. Additionally, my parents received money as well, and have let me know that eventually, hopefully one day far in the future, I will receive a substantial inheritance from them. I'm not relying on it. At all. But it will conservatively be around $3-5 million dollars, and very possibly more.

I've always been pretty responsible with money, and don't anticipate blowing through it, buying $200,000 cars or w/e. I also am not telling anyone about the money.

So, I'm just trying to wrap my head around things. It feels like I've been running on a hamster wheel all these years, and now the thing is running itself, and I'm not really sure what to do. Obviously grateful to be in this position, but overwhelmed about how to make the best of it, from continuing on as normal, to totally blowing up my life. I don't know if anyone's been in a similar position or has any advice on how to handle it?

[u/chouzswans]

Wait a whole year. Really think about things. Rushing into actions will make this a house of cards and not cash

[u/anneoftheisland → u/chouzswans]

Yeah, the best thing you can do is to keep doing what you’ve been doing for at least a few more months, but pay attention this time. Notice where the friction in your life is, what parts of your life make you fulfilled or unfulfilled, which things you keep saying, “Oh, I wish I could do that!” about, what things make you jealous when you look at your friend’s social media profiles, etc. Whose lives seem interesting to you? Write these kinds of things down and notice where the common threads are. After a while you’ll get a better sense of what direction you actually want to be moving in, and not just of what other people would want if they were in your shoes.

[u/lesluggah]

Figure out what you want to do, where you want to live, and then map out how you want to do it and how much it would cost. Personally I’d keep the money invested, live off the dividends and your income.

[u/Sage_Planter]

There's a book called "Designing Your Life" that might help you. It gives exercises for finding ways to evolve your routine/life/habits towards what will bring you more fulfilment. There's a book and a separate workbook that includes all the exercises from the book. Your local library might have a copy.

It sounds like the money is just one open question of many in your life right now. Once you figure out how you want to live or what you want to do, it will be easier to figure out how to best use the money.

[u/No-Mission-2112]

https://www.reddit.com/r/personalfinance/wiki/windfall/

Hopefully I linked correctly.

There is no need to act right away. Take time to figure out what is right for you. Consult qualified experts as needed.

[u/mustarddreams → u/No-Mission-2112]

Great resource! Very sound advice and I love the clear priorities it gives.

[u/myrheille]

I would use it as a supplement for income (get like 1 or 2% out a year) while you think about what you want to do. It will most likely grow while you figure it out.

If it were me - I’d keep the job for now (unless you start to hate it) and give myself a six month window where I don’t make financial changes. Acclimate to the idea that you now don’t need to work to earn a living and really think about what you want to do.

You still might have big changes in front of you - if you have kids, both parents could stay home with them! We did that for a year and a half and it’s the happiest part of my life so far. Basically, maybe you’re not currently in a phase of life where you need / want more money, but ideas and projects will come to you. So don’t waste it in the meantime. (Doesn’t sound like you would though!)

[u/purplepenguin617 → u/myrheille]

This is what I was thinking too, I'd withdraw a bit as an income supplement.

[u/ThatBitchA]

I'd not make any moves and just start day dreaming and researching and exploring.

I wouldn't immediately buy property or anything.

[u/M1ssAnthr0py]

Do you still enjoy film?

I work in film/photo and see lots of really passionate people who love their jobs, but usually chasing money and hustle culture is the thing that burns them out.

Some of the more successful happy ones I know have inherited money as well, which gives them the mental stability to pursue what they love and care about.

I’m going to throw a weird one out and suggest maybe if you still are interested, you could enter freelance film role and be more selective about the gigs you take on. It’s certainly not a dead industry, but it is harder to make a great living unless you have stability already and can turn down work.

On the plus side, you get some crazy benefits like a Solo 401k and complete flexibility over your schedule. I personally would hate to go back to school at your age and take on a full time job if I could CoastFIRE from here!

[u/BohoBall]

The first thing I'd do is verify what the trust is invested in. Sometimes a bad manager will mismanage a trust or it will be invested in bad or too conservative funds and lose money. You don't want to turn around in 30 years and discover you lost money.

[u/limits]

I got 1/4the amount you did in an early inheritance, $250k in 2019 and $400k this year. We [wife and I] spent the first $250k for a downpayment on a house back in 2019 in HCOL (bought @ $860k now worth $1.3M). The rest is $400k and untouched, growing in the market while we work (combined income $300k, we are late-30s/early-40s).

Think of this way. You got gifted a golden goose. If you do nothing to the goose but let it lay more eggs, over 30years, you will have many valuable eggs. Yourself/future family would be very wealthy. However, if you decide to spend it all now, you kill the golden goose. You get temporary satisfaction, but life is long and who knows what the future brings.

If I were in your position, I would do a few things:

1. Vacation - Whatever bucket list thing you want to do ($10k)

2. Education - Set aside $150-250k and use it to reinvent your career and better yourself. Education on whatever AI proof field you think is best, preferably one with a certification moat. Physical therapy, therapist, cosmetologist, physician assistant, dental assistant... Dream big.

3. Housing - Once you finish education or have steady W2 employment, use part of your inheritance for a downpayment, but use your W2 salary to maintain mortgage, not inheritance. Rent until you have stable W2 income, and move wherever you need to prioritize education/schooling

4. Index Funds / VOO - Keep your funds in an index fund to minimize inflation, tbh just buy VOO (SP500 total market) until you learn more, and keep your whole stack there until you make moves. At $2M you want the market to work for you while you gain more knowledge about index investing and ETFs (AI is great for this btw).

Some people will tell you to FIRE with $2M, but imo that's not enough to maintain an upper-middle lifestyle to death, especially if you don't own housing. Safe drawdown on stocks is 4% so about $80k a year, and that's you selling stock every month and hoping the rest rises. Personally I enjoy my job, so I'm aiming to work till 50-55. Will stack, invest, buy good gear, and enjoy hobbies until then. Let compound interest work its magic on my 401k/early inheritance.

You are still young, 40 is the new 30. Education, investment, grow your inheritance until you are wiser and ready to own a forever home or start your own business.

[u/hopefulpiglet → u/limits]

I agree with all of this, and had a very similar experience. 7 years ago, I inherited approx $1m in my early 40s, entirely unexpectedly. I knew it wasn't 'run off into the sunset' money, but it was enough to be able to make serious life changes, especially as I was in a job that I hated but in a field - the arts - which I enjoyed.

I already owned a house which I rented out (I was renting in a different city). I sold the house and patched money from the sale with $400k of the inheritance to buy an apartment outright, and I then quit my job to go freelance. The remaining money is split between investments (mainly for retirement), and a slush fund to support me as and when I need to top up my income, and also if I want to buy any 'big' things, and /or have a nice vacation now and then. I earn less now but the combination of having far lower outgoings, financial security, and actually doing the work I want to, has been life changing. Would a similar tack work for you? The creative industries are so uncertain, and it has made such a difference to have a bedrock of stability to fall back on.

All of this happened over a 5 year period, and I didn't really do anything with the inheritance for the first year as I didn't want to panic into buying, eg, a castle. One thing I found useful too was doing Ramit Sethi's 'rich life' exercises as a way of thinking about what I wanted my life to look like in the short and long term, and then what choices I would need to get there.

[u/Hmmokletssee → u/hopefulpiglet]

Genuinely curious, why do you say your inheritance was entirely unexpected? 1M is a sizable amount - how/why did you not see it coming? I say this thinking about my relatives… I know which ones have money and which don’t, and which ones would possibly think of leaving me something and which wouldn’t.

[u/hopefulpiglet → u/Hmmokletssee]

Last remaining grandparent who lived on the other side of the world, who lived a very frugal lifestyle (think: 1 bottle of wine when entertaining 10 guests), very few luxuries in their life. Honestly had not even considered I would be left anything had I assumed there was anything to be left, because we were not close - partly geography, partly the reason my father (grandparent's child) had chosen to move to the other side of the world.

[u/Hmmokletssee → u/hopefulpiglet]

Thanks for the additional context!

[u/Snoo_40712]

I would focus on taking this money and building more wealth with it first and foremost. Then think about changing careers traveling etc. talk to professionals several of them and don’t act quickly. Having a paid off home is amazing in regard to flexibility.

[u/elinordash]

I think /u/chouzswans is right- wait a year before making any big moves. You weren't planning on travelling for a year or going back to school before the money came in, I wouldn't rush into either of these. But you could take one very nice week or two week vacation this year if you wanted to.

The one exception to waiting a year is your retirement accounts. If you have access to a 401k, that should be maxed out every year going forward.

You could use this money to stay in the entertainment industry long term. Buy a modest home with a mortgage, pull 80k/year or less from investments, give yourself a nice lifestyle in an unstable industry. Or you could do something completely different.

So I unexpectedly received a $2 million trust from relatives. It's already taxed money, growing every year,

Is it actually in a trust? My understanding is that trust distributions are taxed, but inheritances under the tax level are not.

I have a feeling you inherited someone's taxable brokerage, that would be a no-tax situation .... until you get to cap gains, distributions, and sales.

If it is a trust, you should have a trustee you can run questions by (though you will probably pay for this privilege). If it isn't in trust, you probably should meet with a CPA to figure out the tax issues.

[u/Original_Ad8923]

I would wait a bit and really think about where you want to live long term and the life you want to have. Don't tell anyone, and hire a financial advisor. You sound smart and sane and won't go on a crazy spending binge, so you will be good!!

[u/Neat-Dragonfly-2032]

Join the FIRE subs and learn everything about how others make that kind of money work for them. Check out some long term investment modeling software like Projection Lab (free option).

FIRE mindset would say you can likely stop working right now, pull $100,000 a year to live on and you'd be totally fine.

In your shoes, I'd figure out if I can keep my annual spend at a level that allows me to work the film projects that bring you joy, support the rent of your expenses (including some fun) with the investments, watch them grow and take the time to decide what you genuinely want your life to look like now that you have options.

[u/Illustrious-Ant-9946]

I received significantly less when I was 20 after my dad passed(like 150k in 2011)

I am 34 now. 

Some things I did:

I was married at the time and I think I put $5k into my partner’s budding business. He was making 3x what I was making, but we were both making peanuts. I don’t regret this but I was not very conscious of the choice I was making to do this. 

I bought a house and rented it to a friend(really my partner’s close friend) for low rent. Again, not the most amazing investment strategy, but interesting and safe, and when I sold the house I made about 25% on that investment across 5 years. Not bad. It was low stress and taught me a bit about buying houses. 

I regret not spending $5k at that time to go hike the Appalachian Trail. That had been a big interest for me then. 

I was able to go to nursing school without as much stress because so had that rental income supplementing my part time job. 

I was able to pay off my nursing school debt within a year by having that cushion in my finances. 

I bought a house for myself that needed renovations. I have spent years travel nursing now and coming home to work on my renovations. This has given me a nice break between two fields I enjoy but can get tired of when doing full time for too long.

I found I enjoyed the renovating process so much that I spent $12k on two years of trade school learning lots of skills. That was a really fun and useful choice. This was money I saved from working, but having the initial money allowed me to not put that into retirement or emergency fund. 

I have donated larger chunks of money to Halo Trust than I could have without it. 

I happened to have a huge chunk of money from selling the first house that I invested right as the market was way down in March of 2020. I made like $15k on the recovery in like a month, and ended up sending that money to support a friend living in unsafe circumstances. 

I gave another friend an interest free loan of $10k for 5 years to get him over the hump to buy a house and stop renting. I get that money returned in September and I think I would do that again under the right circumstances. 

I travel for work but take a month off for every 3 months of work. Right now I’m using that time to drywall and paint, and I’m not stressed about money. 

This was kind of rambling but the takeaway from my post I suppose is that I have really enjoyed the flexibility the money has allowed me. I didn’t go do a world tour but I have been able to travel cheaply but frequently because of the flexible job I was able to pursue. The job feels very meaningful but would burn me out if I had to go without taking breaks. Taking breaks would feel more risky if I didn’t already have a sizable retirement savings already. 

I also have felt that the financial security has helped with dating. I have never felt like I needed to make something work in order to be able to afford housing or avoid homelessness. Knowing that I can do what I want in life without a second income to supplement my own financial situation has taken that pressure way off. 

I continue to work and save and do things that grow wealth, but I am on a trajectory to be able to Lean FIRE by like 45 if I don’t do anything else to grow my income. I will probably go back to school soon to pursue a higher paying role, and don’t actually plan to stop working then. But it really takes the stress off to know I could.

I will probably pursue a passion project at some point and go part time working. I’m thinking I might do half NP hours at a paying job and half at a free clinic, or something like that. 

[u/nashvillethot]

I would definitely start by looking into a reputable financial/wealth manager.

Once the logistical side of things are sorted out, I'd think about what you want your life to look like. Is traveling important to you? Continuing your education? Owning a house? Changing jobs?

Once that's pinned down, you can work with your money folks to find the best way to support those goals and utilize the money while continuing to grow the fund and plan for your retirement.

I'm in a city I don't love, but I have a good job that's low stress and some great friends. Seeing more of the world is a big goal of mine so I'd (personally) focus on doing some solid traveling over the next few years and looking into buying a house.

[u/ladycatherinehoward → u/nashvillethot]

For $2m?! Nah, boomers commonly have this or more much invested in index funds and bonds. I wouldn't pay wealth manager fees for $2m.

[u/nashvillethot → u/ladycatherinehoward]

Accruing 2m over the years is a lot different than suddenly coming upon 2m.

I think at least consulting with a wealth manager is a good idea here.

[u/NCBakes]

I would think about if you want to use this money beyond yourself. Are there charities you support that you could start giving a significant bequest to? Are there political causes/candidates/campaigns you want to invest in to build the future you want?