That’s when the panic hit.
What was she supposed to do now?
Was she supposed to withdraw something? Leave it alone? Move it? Every action felt like it could be a mistake she couldn’t undo. For six months, she tried to figure it out alone: late nights on Google, contradictory advice, IRS articles that felt like another language. The weight of it was constant: What if I mess this up? What if I waste the gift he meant for us?
Then a friend asked one simple question: “Have you called your advisor yet?”
The First Call We Hope You Make
When
you inherit money, especially an IRA, don’t do anything yet. Don’t move it. Don’t withdraw it. Don’t rely on what worked for a friend or sibling. Just call. Inherited accounts come with strict rules, permanent decisions, and tax consequences that don’t announce themselves until it’s too late. And when grief is layered on top of complexity, even the most capable people get confused. That’s not failure. That’s human.
Once Susan reached out to us, we made progress quickly:
- We located and properly titled every inherited account
- We handled old stock certificates that had been sitting
untouched
- We built a tax-efficient withdrawal plan aligned with the 10-year rule
- We clarified beneficiary designations so her children were protected
But the
biggest change for Susan wasn’t financial. It was relief. She stopped apologizing for asking questions. She stopped worrying she was “behind.” She stopped carrying it alone. The inheritance that once felt like a burden finally felt like what it was meant to be: a gift.
Our role at Capstone isn’t just to move money. It’s
to:
- Slow things down when emotions are high
- Protect clients from irreversible mistakes
- Reduce taxes you didn’t need to pay
- Bring clarity when everything feels overwhelming
And that only works if we are part of the conversation early.
Susan
isn't alone. We’ve seen this story many times.
There was Mark, who inherited his brother’s IRA and told us after our first meeting:
“I slept through the night for the first time in weeks. I had no idea how heavy this was until you helped
me make sense of it.”
There was Elena, who inherited from her mother and said:
“I felt terrified of making the wrong move. Having someone walk through each step with me made me feel protected and
supported.”
There was David, an estate attorney, who told us:
“I do this for a living and I didn't have the mental bandwidth to get through it. You handled the details when I couldn’t.”
Each one had a different story. And each one expressed the same gratitude once they made that first call.
The best inheritance plan starts with the simplest action
Pick up the phone and let someone you trust guide you from the very first step. Sometimes the most important thing we help clients protect isn’t their inheritance—it’s their peace of mind.
*This information is based on a
real client story but names have been changed to preserve privacy."
