Tag: personal finances

How to Prevent Entitlement in America’s Children When a Trillion-Dollar Wealth Transfer is Underway

The United States is in the midst of a massive wealth transfer from Baby Boomers to Gen Xers and Millennials – to the tune of $30 trillion, in fact. In light of this, many parents are wondering how to ensure their children feel empowered by their inheritance, without adopting a dangerous sense of entitlement. Below we’ll explore four proactive strategies for avoiding uncomfortable family scenarios that can develop when adult children know there’s guaranteed money in their future.

The subject of money and inheritance can be seen as taboo in many families, whether there’s a great deal of money in the family or not. A 2015 survey by U.S. Trust (now Bank of America) showed that one-third of high net worth and ultra-high net worth adults intentionally did not discuss family finances with their children out of fear that it would create a negative work ethic. Additionally, a full 20 percent said they had been taught as children that it was not appropriate to talk about wealth. How, then, will these families address the very real concerns that arise when wealth transfers to the next generation? The four action steps below offer a place to start.

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When You Have Enough Saved but Still Worry About Money

In the financial advising business, it’s fairly common to hear from clients who are concerned they haven’t saved enough for retirement. What’s surprising about this, though, is that many of these clients are actually in an enviable financial position. They have worked hard to save more than they are likely to need, and yet they still worry about becoming penniless in retirement. Why is that?

Let’s consider a gentleman we’ll call David. He is 65 years old, a military veteran with a $40,000 per year pension, and he has $400,000 saved. His home is paid off and he has no debt to speak of. He qualifies for both Medicare and Tricare for health needs, and he has a long-term care policy just in case. You don’t have to be a financial professional to see that David has his ducks in a row, yet he’s still terrified of retiring and outliving his money.

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