DEAR JANE: I inherited millions from my parents… but I’m HIDING it from my husband
- In today’s agony aunt column, best-selling author Jane Green gives advice to a woman who is keeping her inheritance a secret from her spouse
- The woman fears her husband will want to spend all the money instead of saving
- Do you have a question for Jane? Email [email protected] or ask it below
Dear Jane,
My parents both passed away in the last year and as an only child, I inherited everything they had to leave behind – which was a fairly impressive sum. Enough to ensure that I’ll be comfortable for the rest of my life, provided I’m sensible.
But here’s the thing… I can’t bring myself to tell my husband about the money.
He’s never been good with savings; he’s one of those people who has a ‘you can’t take it with you’ kind of attitude whenever it comes to spending.
And as a result it’s often me left to figure out what to do if we end up in an emergency situation – and usually that involves raiding the small amount of savings that I’ve managed to put away for the two of us.
Dear Jane, I inherited a fortune from my parents but I don’t want to tell my husband because I’m scared he’s going to spend it all
I know that if I tell him about my inheritance, he’s going to get dollar signs in his eyes and start thinking about all of the things we can spend it on.
This money could ultimately allow us to retire a few years early or perhaps buy a new house one day and I can’t stand the idea of it being pissed away on random purchases before we reach that stage.
International best-selling author offers sage advice on DailyMail.com readers’ most burning issues in her weekly Dear Jane agony aunt column
I feel sick about lying to my husband but I can’t help but feel he’s better off being left in the dark on this one?
What do you think?
From,
Secret Nest Egg
Dear Secret Nest Egg,
Lucky you to have been given the kind of financial security that most of us dream about, and slightly unlucky you to be married to a profligate spender.
You say in your letter that when you end up in emergency situations, you raid the small amount of savings that you’ve managed to put away.
So you have already been clever in squirreling money away for times when you might need it.
You could think of this in exactly the same way: put the inheritance away just as you have already been doing with your savings.
I suggest you consult with an attorney and find out about putting the money in trust – this would effectively keep the money safe behind a very strong wall of glass, only to be broken at retirement, or in case of a very real emergency.
However, sins of omission are nevertheless sins, and keeping a secret of this magnitude is not good for a relationship.
It is hard for a marriage to thrive when there is this big a secret. One of the hardest areas for couples to navigate can be their collective relationship with money, and there is work for you both to do on this part of your relationship.
Source: Read Full Article