America Risks Squandering $124 Trillion Wealth Transfer as 50% of Investors Feel Unprepared
Updated
Updated · Newsweek · Aug 4
America Risks Squandering $124 Trillion Wealth Transfer as 50% of Investors Feel Unprepared
3 articles · Updated · Newsweek · Aug 4
Summary
$124 trillion is set to change hands in coming decades, but the report argues the biggest threat is not taxes or markets — it is heirs inheriting assets without the judgment to manage them.
50% of investors told EY they feel underprepared for intergenerational transfers, even though 64% say preparation is very important and only 28% think advisors have engaged them adequately.
Younger heirs often learn about family wealth too late, after attitudes toward money and risk are already formed, raising the odds they treat investing as speculation rather than long-term capital stewardship.
Technology has made trading instant and cheap, the report says, amplifying the danger that inexperienced heirs chase crypto, AI or other momentum trades without patience, discipline and trusted relationships.
The warning reaches beyond wealthy families: mishandled inheritances could erase future businesses, jobs and investment, while better education could turn the transfer into a new wave of entrepreneurs and innovators.