"As housing stress and cost-of-living pressures mount, adult children are asking parents to unlock their wealth early — or to stop spending it," per Bloomberg
The responses are as varied and as hot take and as nuanced as the situation demands, and to preview a sampling:
“This is basically early inheritance negotiation becoming normal. Parents planned to pass wealth at death. Kids need it now for housing down payments. The timing mismatch is the real issue.” ~ @facelessbuilds
“This could reduce the amount of families who pass down generational wealth as adult children spend inheritance early on necessities, instead of getting it later on and keeping a portion of it in investments. This could get interesting.” ~ @jasonwoodland1
“My parents' money is not mine. I'm not entitled to any of it as an adult. If there's an inheritance left over, then so be it.” ~ @TinyToothDDS
“As long as the stock market goes up - everything is good. The 10% who benefit from this are going to be happy. The rest will be just poor.” ~ @stockdatamarket
“This trend makes sense—many younger adults are priced out of homeownership and see their parents' assets as a potential lifeline. It’s shifting how families talk about money, inheritance, and long-term planning in real time.” ~ @iathulnambiar
The fact of the matter is that this is happening now, broadly, across many families, across our country. Families like mine, like yours, and like our neighbors. As we internalize this macro trend, the question becomes what do we do about it?
Ignore it and hope it will all work out after our parents pass? Get jealous that others may be in a “better” situation? Take a deep breath and realize that it will be harder now and easier later if we start systematically dealing with it?
We can help each other. We can teach each other productive ways to have sensitive, financial conversations. We can honor Mom and Dad’s legacy. They can live their legacy while they are alive, not just leave it once they are gone. We can keep more money in the family. We can help move each other forward…