<prompt> Human: So Im an 18 year old college student in the North East US. Im double majoring in applied and pure mathematics and I go to my local state school and I get paid to go here because of scholarships. I lost my father when I was 5 and I recently lost my mother and paternal grandmother in a car accident so I guess I am technically an orphan now. So now it is just me, my 15 year old sister, and my 4 year old half brother. Im trying to hold strong for them, but honestly I just feel broken. I always thought I was a smart kid, but nothing could have prepared me for this. So regarding finances, I was left a decent amount of money and property. My father was an only child so when he passed away, my grandmother decided to give everything to my sister and I. From my grandmother, I received her home in my home country which is worth a decent amount, a decent amount of money, along with numerous other homes and apartments, mainly in Europe,. My mother left us the house we currently live in and the my childhood home from when my father was alive. I want to try to keep my personal life as similar as possible, though I will likely take less credits and graduate in a year and a half rather than 1 year so I can be home when my siblings get home from school.So what I want to know is, how do I set up these assets so that they can help my siblings in the future? Neither of them know about the extent of the assets we received. One time my sister asked if we will lose electricity and get kicked out of our home so I told her that wont be an issue, but that is all she knows. Im worried that she will begin to slack off in high school if she finds out. She is very bright and I want her to be able to go to whatever university she wants and not have to go to a state school like I did to save money.Another question I have is regarding what I should do with my grandmothers home. It has been in my family for generations so I would feel terrible just selling it or even renting it out. It is also in an impoverished country with a high crime rate and without good universities so I wouldnt want to live there. So Im not sure what to do really.This might not be the place to ask this, but Im also concerned about how I can raise my little brother. I know that people will say that Im just 18 and I should let some family raise him, but I just cant do that. His fathers family is terrible and abusive while my surviving family isnt any better. I love my brother to bits and am willing to do anything to make his life as amazing as possible.Sorry for the poorly constructed sentences. I wrote this post quickly on my phone and Im kind of a wreck right now.  <response>: Very sorry for your loss. Its an unimaginable situation for most of us, but what i can assure you is that youll pull through and make it work - for an 18 year old you sound like you have a good head on your shoulders and know what to focus on: your education, and making sure your siblings get raised the right way.For all the financial planning, I wont tell you what you SHOULD do. I will only tell you the different dimensions that you should be considering to see how to make this situation work the best way possible.Think of your goal right now: Making sure your families needs are taken care of. Your goal is not to save assets, or create wealth. It is to ensure you and your siblings get the best chance at creating your own assets in the future which means ensuring everybody gets a good education, and has a lifestyle that allows them to excel professionally.Step 1: Take inventory of assets and cashYou said you have assets, houses in europe, a house you live in, etc. Take a count, get some valuation done, and see how much this is all worth. This doesnt have to be a formal valuation, just see how much similar properties sell for, and how much in rent you can get. For a smart kid like yourself, you can always make more assets in the future, so your goal right now should be cash flow to ensure your education and your siblings education and wellbeing, not saving your assets apart from ofcourse maybe your parental home which has a sentimental value, and a home you live in. Nothing should be off limits other than the home you live inStep 2: Look at how much cash flow you need now and for the next 3-7-14 years for your lifestyle living costs, electricity, food, school supplies, transport, plus how much cash do you need to put your siblings through a good collegeLook at your needs right now. You said you are on a scholarship, thats awesome. Your siblings have their needs till they graduate, plus college fees. Tally up what these costs look like.Step 3: Compare your asset sale value, asset rent potential, cash on hand and your current future needsIf you can get rent income from your properties and it can cover your on going month to month needs, thats great. If you need to sell a property or two in order to get cash in the bank to finance that, see what you can get rid of, and do it. You dont want to worry yourself or your siblings right now on a monthly basis wondering about cash flow. I know cash in the bank means youre not getting any upside from property price increases, but like i said your goal is not asset creation, its stability. For your siblings education, do you have enough cash in the bank right now to be able to pay for it? Set this aside if you do, maybe create a trust. These are easy to do and a lawyer will help you out with this. A trust makes sure nobody can touch this money until the person turns 18 or whatever conditions you set. That means at 18 your sisters trust will kick in and you can set it so it will pay her annual fee a monthly stipend you set.Step 4: if you have a lot of excess cash, figure out what to do with itI would not invest in anything risky right now. Not stocks. Maybe government bonds. Keep in mind inflation means your cash loses about 3-4 of its value every year. Ideally, you would invest in something that gives you that much return, without taking too much risk. you dont want to be down 10-15 on an investment in two years - that means you just lost 10-15 of a vital asset.Step 5: Consider a best case and worst case scenario. You said your brother is 4. Your sister is 15. Do you have time to spend with them? Do you have family that can led a hand? Do you have enough cash to hire full time help? Full time help wont be cheap, but consider some formula - maybe someone to help out 2 pm to 8 pm when your siblings are home but youre away? A 15 year old is independent, and as long as she has decent supervision and a good brother like you to guide her, she will be fine. A 4 year old is much much tougher to handle. They need constant attention and love. Figure out how you will do this.As a worst case scenario, plan what you can get rid of if something unexpected comes up. Also plan things in a way that you dont have unexpected cash flow spikes. For example health insurance. Make sure everybody has good coverage if you can afford it. Youd rather spend the couple of thousand on an annual insurance plan rather than be faced with a situation where you suddenly need to spend 50k out of pocket for an operation.Some other thoughts:1 I know the above seems like a lot, especially in a time like this, but trust me, structuring your thoughts and plans properly will make things easier. It will help you realise figuring out this financial situation its not as complicated or as over whelming as your thought.2 Because you are young, be careful of a few things: a when you see a lot of cash in your bank, its tempting to over spend. Make sure you dont do that. Have systems in place to keep tabs on your spending and your assets. Dont give in to superfluous temptations, or being generous with giving outloaning your cash to others.b be vary of people around you. I dont want to sound cynical, but unfortunately too many people will try to take advantage of others for money. Dont hand over your assets to anybody else for caretaking, other than in a professional way for example a reputable financial advisor. Dont let outside family convince you in letting them manage this for you. Yes, be open to their advice and guidance, but dont transfer anything to them. Dont fall for quick fix solutions. If someone suggests something, dont take their word for it, take the time to do your homework and if youre not comfortable dont do it.3 All of this planning cash flows, property valuations etc can be kept tabs of in excel or google sheets. if you want help i can make a template and send it your way, but should be easy. Just take count of your properties, note down their sale value, and their rent. Plus create a detailed line by line breakdown of your monthlyannual needs and do this for a couple of years.I hope this has been helpful. If you have any other questions feel free to respond here or a direct message. Remember, youre not alone and there are some wonderful people around you always willing to help. Dont be shy in asking for it. If you need a friend to help out with some house stuff, ask. If you need some family guidance, ask them. 