The text by an anonymous author electrifies the internet. “My inheritance is being drunk in the Caribbean with a straw made from a coconut,” was her complaint. She jokingly described how her parents had started traveling when they were of retirement age. At first the daughter was impressed by the old woman’s self-confidence and daring. Until she noticed that the extensive and increasingly expensive trips were not financed from petty cash, but rather drained the substance. “My inheritance is getting drunk through a straw in a coconut in the Caribbean!”
In response to her anxious objection as to whether it really had to be a villa with a pool for two people, her mother shot her a cheerful “YOLO!” counter: You Only Live Once, once the battle cry of the young, is now the motto of the old. A warning with profound consequences. “It’s not pleasant to admit something like this, but the fact is that their dream vacation is consuming my inheritance.”
The inheritance was definitely expected. Because the author – 34, penniless, with student debt – had secretly hoped for a generous generational transfer so that she could get a property at some point. Then she would also be able to give her parents grandchildren, she complains. This paradise of home and children is receding into the distance. The old rulers have been traveling around the globe for five years now. They had promised to divide the inheritance fairly between the two sisters, and the daughter relied on that.
But gradually she realizes that the cake that is being distributed has already shrunk into a chocolate bar. The author is probably not alone in this. According to a study, Moneyfarm’s asset managers found that 40 percent of the offspring between 35 and 50 surveyed fear that their parents would rather juxtapose their assets rather than pass them on. In 20 percent there have already been disputes on this topic.
For the author, it’s not just the joy of traveling that eats away at her fortune. She complains that she can’t even afford a driver’s license, while her parents, who are hardly at home, buy a new car every few years. The dealer loves the old ones so much that a bouquet of flowers is delivered after the purchase.
The internet is pouring buckets of malice on the 34-year-old, who had the foresight not to reveal her name. This is premature, because the text is subtle and does identify the weaknesses of their position. But the piece is much more than a joke. Today, the next generation must recognize that building wealth on their own is becoming increasingly difficult. This is due to stagnating wages, the labor market, the costs of training, but also strong consumer behavior. Moneyfarm’s research shows that Millennials will be poorer than previous generations because house prices are outpacing wage growth.
The truly poor have never been able to inherit any substantial wealth. This is about the middle class. It accumulated great value in the post-war period, especially in countries where there is a large proportion of owner-occupied real estate. But what if the boomers collectively abandon the old generational contract? The war generation remained frugal even in old age and were guided by the mantra “The children should have a better life.”
The Boomers, on the other hand, were never a generation of renunciation, if they age the way they lived, the author will not be alone and the younger generation will have to make do with what they can gather themselves. Moneyfarm’s Chris Rudden warns: “If millennials want to be financially successful in the long term, it’s crucial that they plan for their future. Just in case they don’t inherit as much as they expect.”
Those: “Daily Mail”
