• Politics
• Entertainment
• Business
• Tech

What to do with a big inheritance

September 07 12:05:03 PM, LA Times

Dear Liz: My husband and I just inherited about $700,000 in a brokerage account. About $300,000 is in municipal bonds. The rest is in various mutual funds with some cash, corporate bonds and other, "alternative" investments. In addition to the inheritance we have $400,000 in IRAs and SEP IRAs, as well as equity in our home. We are both semi-retired consultants who intend to keep working for at least five to 10 years.

Related articles

• Housing downturn hits L.A.-area rents
  Overbuilding and foreclosures add to supply of units as the recession limits what people can pay. Christine…
• Walgreen's plans to cut 1,000 salaried jobs
  Walgreen Co. said Thursday that intends to eliminate 1,000 salaried positions during fiscal 2009, as part of an earlier-announced initiative by which the Deerfield drugstore-chain is seeking to slash $1…
• Chief Performance Officer Nancy Killefer faces a political pork fight
  President-elect Barack Obama gives new title to old waste-cutting job Appointed by President-elect Barack Obama on Wednesday to the…
• Retailers report dismal December sales
  NEW YORK -- Retailers reported dismal sales figures for December today as even Wal-Mart Stores Inc., one of the bright spots in the industry, finally buckled under the pressures of the deteriorating economy.
• Ill. sec. of state feels the heat in Burris flap
  AP - Until recently, Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White may have been best known on the national stage for establishing an inner city tumbling team. No longer.
• It was a dismal December for U.S. retailers
  As merchants reported their sales figures that confirming fears the holiday season was the weakest in four decades, the malaise cut through practically all areas from kitchen gadget stores to apparel retailers.…
• Stocks flat as stimulus hopes offset Wal-Mart
  Reuters - Stocks were little changed on Thursday as investors took bleak signs of more deterioration in consumer spending as likely to spur Washington to approve a stimulus plan quickly to jolt the economy…
• The wrong people pay for Schwarzenegger's busted budget
  The state's wealthiest residents would make out just fine under his plan to cut services, hike taxes. The Schwarzenegger administration…
• Mortgage giants extend suspensions of foreclosures
  AP - Mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac said Thursday they will extend the suspension of foreclosure sales and evictions from single-family homes through the end of January.
• Continuing jobless claims rise more than expected
  WASHINGTON -- The number of people continuing to seek unemployment benefits has risen sharply, according to government data released Thursday, indicating that laid-off workers are having a harder time…
• Consumers Union asks Congress to delay switch to digital TV
  Congress should consider delaying the Feb. 17 switch to digital TV because a flawed subsidy program may leave some households without equipment needed to receive broadcasts, the Consumers Union said Wednesday. …
• SEC accuses man of $50 million Ponzi scheme
  Reuters - Securities and futures regulators charged a Philadelphia-area fund manager with operating a $50 million Ponzi scheme, where he paid off earlier investors with money from later investors, officials…
• Stocks head lower on retail woes
  NEW YORK (AP) - Wall Street's worries about weak consumer spending revived Thursday, sending stocks lower as bad news from Wal-Mart Stores Inc. signaled that even the stronger U.S. retailers struggled…
• GMAC says backs ResCap, without committing to it
  Reuters - Finance company GMAC LLC expressed support for its money-losing Residential Capital LLC mortgage unit on Thursday but stopped short of a commitment to keep the big home loan provider in business.
• Eric 2.0: Polaroid debuts digital camera with built-in printer
  
• Companies face $409 billion pension deficit: study
  Reuters - Volatile markets have saddled U.S. companies with a $409 billion deficit on pension plans, reversing a $60 billion surplus a year earlier, and will cut into earnings in 2009, consulting firm…
• Stocks open lower as jitters about retail return
  NEW YORK -- Wall Street's worries about weak consumer spending revived today, sending stocks lower as bad news from Wal-Mart Stores Inc. signaled that even the stronger U.S. retailers struggled during…
• Stock traders' tough floor routine
  Pros feel pressure to get the best prices in buying and selling clients stocks The stock market has been…
• Lenovo cuts jobs, restructures
  Reuters - Lenovo Group, the world's fourth-biggest PC maker, forecast a quarterly loss as China's slowing economy hit sales, and said it will axe 2,500 jobs as part of a restructuring to cope with falling…
• Paramount CEO Brad Grey signs on for five more years
  The development is a vote of confidence in the studio chief, who acknowledges having had a bumpy run. Brad…
• FDA panel recommends approval of Ovation's anti-seizure drug
  Ovation Pharmaceuticals Inc. said Wednesday evening that an advisory committee to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration voted unanimously to recommend the company's Sabril seizure treatment be approved…
• Continental Airlines uses biofuel on test flight
  The carrier uses an algae-and-weed mix to help power one of two engines during a two-hour flight. Continental…
• Microsoft rolling out trial versions of Vista successor
  Windows 7 is designed to make operating a computer less frustrating and to work better with gadgets. The improvements…
• Political wrangling bogs down economic stimulus package
  Economists warn that if the stimulus comes too late or loses focus, it could fall short of rescuing the nation. …