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Key Takeaways
- Nearly one-half (47%) of Americans in a recent survey said they expect to receive an inheritance worth more than $1 million.
- Financial advisors say they often have to bring up the topic of estate planning with their older clients because people are reluctant to talk about money with their children or next of kin.
- The lack of communication between generations about money may lead to misunderstandings about inheritances.
Some affluent millennials and Gen-Xers are anticipating a hefty inheritance.
In a survey of 500 wealthy retail investors, nearly one-half (47%) said they expect to receive an inheritance worth more than $1 million, according to research by Equitable, a life insurance company, and WSJ Intelligence.
In what’s been dubbed the ‘Great Wealth Transfer,’ Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) and older generations plan to pass down their assets to younger generations to the tune of trillions of dollars—roughly $90 trillion—according to a Northwestern Mutual Survey.
But not everyone who’s banking on an inheritance might actually get one.
Expecting An Inheritance? You Might Want To Check
Earlier this year, the Northwestern Mutual survey found that roughly a third (32%) of millennials (born between 1981 and 1996) thought they’d receive an inheritance, while only 22% of Boomers said they plan to leave a financial gift behind.
The best way to avoid misunderstandings is for families to talk about money. Recent studies show that parents today are more likely to talk to their children about family finances than their own parents, but they still aren’t very comfortable with the topic.
“I encourage families to talk about this. It is emotional and those conversations can be challenging, but there’s so much positive that can come out of it,” said H. Jude Boudreaux, a senior financial planner at The Planning Center.
He advises that when people have these conversations, they come from a place of care rather than focusing on how one can personally benefit.
Wealth transfers still seem to be a “taboo topic” for older generations, who are reluctant to have estate planning conversations even with financial advisors, according to Byrke Sestok, a certified financial planner at Rightirement Wealth Partners.
Younger generations share some of that discomfort too. According to Mitchell Kraus, a financial advisor at Capital Intelligence Associates, it’s not just the topic, but he also sees some younger clients saving more, thinking they need to take care of their parents.
His approach to having those conversations: have one without too many details. The younger generation can say, ‘I don’t need to know the details. I want to make sure that you have an estate plan.’