A few weeks ago, a man walked into my office carrying a folder full of paperwork. His father had passed away recently, leaving him heir to his sizeable account.
He sat down and said, “I don’t even know where to start. I never knew he was so rich. We never talked about this.”
It’s a moment I’ve seen many times. Parents mean well. They want to protect their adult children from stress, so they don’t discuss what, if any inheritance may come. But in the end, avoiding the conversation usually leaves loved ones overwhelmed and unsure of the next step.
What happens after the money arrives?
When someone inherits money, the inheritor’s response usually falls into one of three categories.
Some people are savers. They don’t want to change their current lifestyle, preferring to save the new assets instead. They look at the inheritance as part of a bigger picture. Often, they want to pass something on to their own children. In that case, we talk about how to choose investments that aim to preserve the real value of the inheritance or help it grow.
Then there are the spenders. These are the people who burn through hundreds of thousands of dollars in just a short amount of time. It starts with a new car, a vacation, or a house renovation. Before long, the money is gone, and so is the safety net it might have provided.
And some folks simply ignore the money. They leave it untouched. No plan. No adjustments. It just sits there, vulnerable to market changes, not part of any plan.
Start the conversation sooner
If you want your adult children to handle the inheritance you leave them, don’t make it a surprise. Open the door now by slowly broaching the conversation. You don’t have to share every detail, though at least start explaining your overall outlook.
Money doesn’t damage families. Silence does. Experience shows that openness today prevents confusion tomorrow. Families who talk openly about finances tend to make clearer decisions and stay on stronger footing. After decades of helping families receive and invest inheritances, I’ve seen that transparency, not secrecy, is what preserves both wealth and relationships.
If you live in Israel and received an inheritance from America, a free introductory call can help you explore whether our cross-border experience matches what you’re looking for. We’ll learn about your goals, answer general questions, and outline how we typically help families in situations like yours so you can decide whether our approach is right for you. Schedule a call at profile-financial.com/call.
Douglas Goldstein, CFP® is the director of Profile Investment Services, Ltd. www.Profile-Financial.com. He is a licensed financial professional both in the U.S. and Israel. Call (02) 624-2788 for a consultation on how to set up your American assets to meet your financial goals. Securities offered through Portfolio Resources Group, Inc. Member FINRA, SIPC, MSRB, FSI. The opinions expressed are those of the author and not those of Portfolio Resources Group, Inc. or its affiliates. Neither PRG nor its affiliates provide tax or legal advice.
Published February 25, 2026.