Woman, 36, Inherited $340,000—Her Boyfriend Wants Her To Put It In His Brokerage Account

A 36-year-old woman recently inherited $340,000 from her grandmother and is considering investing a portion of the funds in commercial real estate. Her boyfriend of a year and a half believes she should transfer the inheritance into his brokerage account so he can manage it for her. Financial experts typically advise people to maintain control over inherited assets in their own names, as transferring ownership introduces risks that have little to do with investment performance.

Maintaining the inheritance in an account titled solely in her name enables her to seek advice from anyone she chooses while preserving control over investment decisions and account access. The woman's goal is not to hand over the entire inheritance to a stock trader, but rather to build a diversified portfolio including public markets, cash reserves, and private real estate.