The phenomenon of "sudden wealth" is examined in a new guide from a Texan business.

Intercontinental Wealth Advisors, a wealth management firm based in San Antonio, Texas, has released its Sudden Wealth Guide, an educational resource and report designed to guide inheritors and others who have come into sudden wealth.

“There are many types of financial windfalls: earning a big contract, being awarded a legal settlement, the sale of a large property, receiving an unexpected gift, selling a business, etc.,” Howard Lutz, senior vice president of Intercontinental Wealth Advisors, said. “But inheriting a considerable sum due to the death of a loved one can be a different story altogether. Whatever the reason, even though a windfall can be a blessing for your financial life, sudden wealth can be a source of stress and cause headaches if not managed properly.”

The firm said it wrote the guide with the financial health and debt prevention of recipients in mind. Points include establishing and/or reviewing an estate plan, paying off high interest rate debt, being prudent with budgeting and saving, considering the power of privacy, honoring a loved one’s legacy and not immediately lending money to loved ones.

The firm’s co-founders and partners, Isidoro Korngold and John Kauth, formed their first firm together in 1981, Intercontinental Financial Services Corporation, which helped offshore clients invest in US Certificates of Deposit. From there, they created a broker-dealer in 1991, Intercontinental Asset Management Group. Intercontinental Consulting Group, Ltd was established in 1994 to provide consulting services mainly focused on estate planning. Intercontinental Wealth Advisors, LLC was formed in 1997 to provide investment advisory services to a global client base, and Intercontinental Agency, LLC was formed in 2007 to provide insurance solutions.

A variation on the theme of "sudden wealth" is the "suddenly single" phenomenon – when people are divorced or widowed and have to take on, and understand, the wealth predicament left behind.