The Five Challenges for Wealth Inheritors to Develop a Positive Wealth Identity

Inheriting wealth is supposed to be a wonderful and stress-free life opportunity. However, as financial professionals, we experience many short-sighted or self-defeating ways that our clients who have or expect to inherit substantial wealth respond to their fortunes. Inheriting wealth can be a source of conflict or difficulty. How can this be? What can we do to be helpful since we are often in the middle — between generations — and involved in planning for the transmission of wealth. This chapter discusses how inheritors can be prepared to receive wealth by developing what is defined as a positive wealth identity, which is the foundation for a young person to develop the internal capability to make optimal use of their gift.