Should You Give While You Live Or Wait Until Death? Take Our Quiz to Decide
The Great Wealth Transfer is upon us. Discover whether your heirs benefit more if you give now or let your assets grow.
Give while you're living or wait until you die? That's the choice for many retirees sitting on a sizable nest egg as they live out their golden years.
At last check, an estimated $124 trillion in assets are expected to be passed on in the Great Wealth Transfer, according to research firm Cerulli Associates. While most of it will go to heirs after their deaths, many people want to give while they are still alive.
After all, a new Morning Consult survey conducted on behalf of Kiplinger found that when asked what they would want an inheritance used for, both parents and adult children cited practical uses such as paying down debt, buying a home or securing retirement, all of which can benefit heirs now or in the future.
From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance
Become a smarter, better informed investor. Subscribe from just $107.88 $24.99, plus get up to 4 Special Issues
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
On the one hand, if you wait until you die, the money has more time to grow and compound; on the other, if you give while you live, you can enjoy the fruits of your labor or help someone now. You can also do a little bit of both: give a little while you are alive and leave the rest for when you're gone.
Which giving approach works best for you depends on your financial goals, risk tolerance and personal values. To determine which type of giver you are, take our quiz.
Editor's note: We know this can be a contentious conversation. If you want to share your opinion, reach out to us at KipInheritanceTalk@futurenet.com.
More Trillion Dollar Talk
- Why So Many Families Are Unprepared for the Great Wealth Transfer — and What You Can Do About it
- Is Your Will 'Fair'? Estate Planning Is About More Than Money
- The $124 Trillion Great Wealth Transfer: Fact vs Fiction Quiz
- The Longevity Blueprint: 4 Everyday Signs You’re Tracked for a Longer Life
