1-in-4 Baby Boomers don’t trust the younger generation to use their inheritance wisely, according to a national survey by professional services firm, Progeny.
Additionally, nearly half (48%) of Baby Boomers say the attitudes and priorities of younger generations affect their decision-making around transferring wealth to the next generation.
The majority of respondents said they intend to pass on something to the next generations of their family, with 60% planning to do so.
However, of those aiming to provide financial support or inheritance to loved ones, the majority questioned (49%) didn’t know, beyond that, how they might do it.
Fewer than half (47%) of Baby Boomers were confident about making plans or taking financial decisions about transferring wealth, and a third (32%) said they were not confident.
Around the same proportion of Generation X and Millennials (45%) were confident about making use of any received inheritance, versus 39% who said they were not confident.
Those in the south of England are also most likely to have professionally written will in place (48%), with those in the Midlands and Scotland being least likely (31%).
Those in the north of England are most likely to seek professional advice to better manage an inheritance (41%) compared to just 25% of Londoners and 22% in Wales.
However, one fifth of respondents stated that they didn’t want to pass on a significant sum of money to their loved ones.
Nearly half of those questioned (49%) felt it was more important to use their money to enjoy life to the full than to leave an inheritance.
There was clear evidence of the impact of the cost-of-living crisis in the immediate financial goals of the survey respondents.
The highest proportion (45%) said that ensuring they meet regular financial commitments was their top financial goal, followed by 35% who wanted to have enough cash in case of emergencies and 29% who were focused on saving enough to enjoy retirement.
At the top of their list of financial concerns or challenges was the increase in the cost of living (59%), followed by their anxieties over not saving enough (43%) and not having enough for emergencies (39%).
More Millennials were concerned about an increase in daily living costs than the other generations – 78%, compared to 59% of Gen X and 41% of Baby Boomers.
The difficulty of communicating on such a sensitive topic was a consistent theme in the research. The majority of Millennials and Generation X (41%) found it ‘uncomfortable’ to discuss inheritance and wealth transfer with their parents.
Only 58% of Baby Boomers said they have discussed inheritance or gifting with loved ones.
Amongst those who did expect to one day talk about passing on money to the generations below, the majority (53%) said they wouldn’t tell the beneficiaries the amount they will be receiving.
Amongst those expecting to receive inheritance or wealth, when asked how they were planning to use this money, the most popular answers were to build their savings pot (35%), fund retirement (29%) or pay off their mortgage (25%).
1-in-10 said they intended to use it to leave a further financial gift in their will for their family.
Nearly two-fifths (38%) of those expecting to receive an inheritance did not know the amount they would be receiving.
Neil Moles, CEO of Progeny, said: “This research has given us an illuminating snapshot of national attitudes towards inheritance and intergenerational wealth transfer today.
“Transferring money to the next generation is an ambition for many, yet there is a stark lack of any structured planning in evidence. This creates both risk and missed opportunities for those on both sides of the wealth transfer.
“A unique set of economic circumstances have helped the Baby Boomer generation to build up significant levels of wealth compared with the generations that went before them.
“In the years ahead, we will see more families having more complex requirements when it comes to passing on their wealth to the next generation.
“Some may be the first generation of their families to need to plan for intergenerational wealth transfer or prepare for considerations like Inheritance Tax.
“Addressing the issue as a family is likely to lead to better outcomes for everyone. Creating a joined-up, coordinated plan for giving and receiving an inheritance will help the older generation to pass on wealth effectively when the time comes and ensure today’s younger generations have something to pass on in future.”
Do you know the difference between a Baby Boomer, Gen X and a Millennial?
Millennials (aged 24 – 39), Gen X (aged 40 – 55), Baby Boomers (aged 56 – 74)
