The Coming Silver Tsunami: Families May Lose 70% in Wealth Transfer

Gray Reed
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baton passRecord Wealth Transfer. Over the next 30-40 years about $12 trillion from those born in 1920s and 30s will be transferred to the baby boomers, and the boomers are expected to transfer some $30 trillion to their heirs, with more than an estimated $59 trillion transferred from 93.6 million American estates from 2007 to 2061. Much of the wealth is the family business.

70% Never Gets to Third Generation. Shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves in three generations. The first generation makes the money, the second spends it, and the third depletes what’s left. For 70% of all wealthy families, the money has been spent, or otherwise lost, before the end of the second generation and 90% of families no longer have their wealth by the end of the third generation. No planning, no leadership, no communication. No money.

High Divorce Rates and Children with Multiple Families. At its peak, the divorce rate at 50% affected these families and their children, many of whom did not grow up with both biological parents. Less than half (46%) of U.S. kids younger than 18 live with two married heterosexual parents in their first marriage. Blood is thicker than water, and often blood isn’t thick enough.

Geographic Separation. In today’s global society, most adult children live a long distance from their parents, relying upon air travel, cell phones and other technological devices to keep in contact across time and distance. Of about 34 million Americans who are caregivers for an older parent, 15% live one or more hours away and nearly one third of those are helping someone with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.

Why do Wealth and Legacy Fail to Survive?

Success in the Immediate Wealth Transfer. Most have all the proper structures in place for assets to be seamlessly transferred to the first generation. However they have not properly planned and accounted for the impact of divorce on family relationships, families separated by time and distance and children unprepared to handle new found wealth. There are stumbling blocks that doom their success.

Tripping on Their Legacy. The greatest stumbling blocks?

  • No Family Mission – Lack of Purpose
  • Distrust or No Trust – Lack of Communication and Mishandled Communication
  • No Family Leadership – Lack of a Family Governance System and Lack of Family Leadership

Tilting the Scales in Your Favor. There’s more to your family legacy and your wealth transfer than your will. Planning to succeed. Hand off your wealth well and your legacy does not end when you sign your Last Will and Testament. That’s the easy part. Unless you plan for your estate to be liquidated and the cash distributed (and your children to have little contact with each other after you die), there’s more to be done. Start planning now.

Communication – Lack of and Mishandled.

The often present lack of communication or mishandling of communication is exacerbated by divorced parents who don’t communicate, ex-spouses who have different agendas, half-brothers and sisters who dislike the divorce and each other, and the separation of long distances. And, there’s no substitute for being there. While they had their promise, increasing use of ever-expanding computer technology innovations, such as the internet, e-mail Skype, , Facebook, Twitter, iPhone, iPad and so many other hardware and software developments redefined interpersonal relationships and family communications in unexpected ways.

DISCLAIMER: Because of the generality of this update, the information provided herein may not be applicable in all situations and should not be acted upon without specific legal advice based on particular situations.

© Gray Reed | Attorney Advertising

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