Who We Serve

Investors With Inherited Assets

Helping the next generation turn inheritance into opportunity.

The Great Wealth Transfer Is Already Underway

An estimated $84 trillion is expected to pass between generations over the next two decades, one of the largest intergenerational transfers of wealth in history. The decisions you make in the early stages of inheriting wealth impact the future of your wealth for generations to come. Chicago Partners specializes in helping individuals navigate the financial, tax, and emotional complexities that come with sudden or inherited wealth.

2,500+

Client relationships built on a foundation of trust and long-term planning

$84T

Expected to transfer between generations over the next 20 years

1 in 3

Inheritors lose their inherited wealth within two years without a financial plan

Additional Benefits

Comprehensive Guidance for Every Dimension of Your Inheritance

An inheritance brings both opportunity and complexity. We provide comprehensive guidance across investments, tax, and estate planning to help you navigate your wealth from immediate decisions to the strategy that will carry your wealth forward for decades.

Investment Portfolio Design & Management

Inherited assets often arrive concentrated or unstructured. We assess what you've received, liquidate or reposition thoughtfully, and build a diversified portfolio designed around your goals.

Estate & Trust Planning

We work alongside your estate attorney to ensure inherited accounts are retitled correctly, beneficiary designations are updated, and trust distributions are handled in accordance with your wishes and the law.

Tax Planning & Preparation

From navigating stepped-up cost basis and required minimum distributions from inherited IRAs, to coordinating estate tax filings, we work with your CPA to minimize what you owe and protect what you've received.

Advanced Financial Planning

An inheritance changes the math. We update your retirement projections, model cash flow scenarios, and integrate your new assets into a comprehensive plan that reflects your full financial picture going forward.

Philanthropic & Legacy Planning

Many clients want to honor the person who left them wealth by giving back meaningfully. We help you establish donor-advised funds, charitable trusts, or a giving strategy that carries their legacy forward.

Private Client Services

We offer access to low-cost lending solutions and family office caliber support & reporting through our Private Client Services. We also coordinate with your outside professionals to ensure your overall financial plan is aligned with your goals, values, and long-term vision.

Dedicated Team

At Chicago Partners, you work with a team dedicated to supporting your long-term goals. Our teams consist of experienced wealth advisors and client service associates who are committed to delivering the personalized, institutional-level service your wealth deserves.

Please Note: Limitations. Different types of investments involve varying degrees of risk. Therefore, it should not be assumed that future performance of any specific investment or investment strategy (including the investments and/or investment strategies recommended and/or undertaken by Chicago Partners) or any planning or consulting services, will be profitable, equal any historical performance level(s), or prove successful.

Our Process for Inherited Wealth Clients

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The Right Guidance Can Make All the Difference

Receiving a large inheritance is rarely simple. It often arrives during an already emotional time. Even experienced investors find that an inheritance introduces a distinct set of decisions, ones that intersect with tax law, estate planning, family dynamics, and long-term strategy in ways that demand a coordinated approach.

We work with individuals and families who have recently inherited assets, whether it includes a portfolio of investments, real estate, a business interest, or a combination of all three. Our role is to build a plan that reflects your values, your goals, and the legacy you want to carry forward.

Fiduciary Advisors

A Team of Advisors Focused on Optimizing Your Wealth

Behind every portfolio is a team of advisors focused on your success. Our advisors bring decades of experience, credentialed expertise, and a commitment to you and your financial goals.

Instead of working with a single advisor, each client works with a team of fiduciary advisors, ensuring you always have immediate access to your wealth management team.

Meet the Team

Common Questions

Frequently Asked Questions About Inherited Wealth

If you've recently received an inheritance, you likely have questions. Here are answers to some of the most common ones we hear from new and prospective clients.

The most important first step is to avoid making major financial decisions immediately. Give yourself time to process the situation, then work with a financial advisor to take inventory of what you've inherited — accounts, real estate, business interests, and any associated liabilities. From there, you can prioritize time-sensitive items like required minimum distributions, estate tax filings, or asset retitling before building a longer-term plan.

It depends on the type of assets and your state of residence. In most cases, inherited assets receive a stepped-up cost basis, which can significantly reduce capital gains taxes when you sell. Inherited IRAs and retirement accounts, however, come with required minimum distributions that are taxed as ordinary income. Estate taxes may also apply depending on the size of the estate. Working with a financial advisor and CPA together is the best way to minimize your tax exposure.

When you inherit an investment — such as stocks or real estate — its cost basis is "stepped up" to the fair market value at the time of the original owner's death. This means if you sell the asset, you only owe capital gains taxes on the appreciation that occurred after you inherited it, not on the full gain from the original purchase price. This can result in substantial tax savings, but requires careful documentation and planning to take full advantage of.

Inherited IRA rules changed significantly with the SECURE Act. In most cases, non-spouse beneficiaries are now required to withdraw all assets from an inherited IRA within 10 years of the original owner's death. Distributions are taxed as ordinary income, so the timing and amount of withdrawals can have a meaningful impact on your overall tax liability. A financial advisor can help you develop a withdrawal strategy that minimizes taxes while meeting your income needs.

It depends on the interest rates involved and your broader financial picture. High-interest debt like credit cards may warrant immediate payoff, while low-interest debt like a mortgage may be better left in place while the inherited funds are invested. The right answer is highly individual — and shouldn't be made in isolation. We help clients weigh payoff decisions against investment potential, tax implications, and long-term goals before making any moves.

Look for a fee-only, fiduciary advisor with demonstrated experience in estate planning, tax-efficient investing, and trust administration. Ask specifically about their experience working with inherited wealth clients and how they coordinate with estate attorneys and CPAs. At Chicago Partners, our advisors specialize in exactly this — bringing together investment management, tax strategy, and estate planning under one coordinated approach.

Some decisions are time-sensitive — such as disclaiming an inheritance (typically within 9 months), rolling over inherited retirement accounts, or filing estate tax returns. Others, like deciding how to invest a portfolio, can be made more deliberately. We help clients distinguish between what needs immediate attention and what can wait, so you never feel rushed into decisions you're not ready to make.