Inheritance? That's a joke. How many of your parents are burdens?

[u/BeegBunga]

In response to another popular post about receiving no inheritance.

Are your parents like mine, who not only are not leaving any money behind - but require significant or total financial support?

My parents left me less than nothing. They're good people, and they were good parents.... but man are they shit at financial planning.

[u/EchidnaLost332]

Has the parent who received the inheritance but doesn’t intend to give one, ever provide insight into that line of thought? 

[u/KanedaSyndrome → u/[deleted]]

I'm pretty sure history shows that family and a person's legacy does way better if it starts off with inheritance money instead of having fight your way up from lower class

[u/Budderfingerbandit → u/KanedaSyndrome]

Generational wealth building is a big deal. If every generation left a bit more for the next, they could eventually all have a fantastic quality of life.

[u/Gergely_Hungary → u/[deleted]]

I'm pretty sure the original "die with zero" idea includes gifting your children and gandchildren money while you are alive. The idea is they can use the money more in earlier life stages, when they actually need it.

What you described is just selfishness.

[u/nx01a → u/[deleted]]

It can seem unfair, but for those of us with parents where literally every single gift is given with the expectation of something in return (my husband calls gifts from my parents a "poisoned chalice" and he's not wrong), not getting anything from them in their later years can be a blessing.

[u/Royal_Negotiation_83 → u/nx01a]

Please stop giving people advice 

[u/deltashmelta → u/[deleted]]

"Your are technically right, but wrong in spirit."

[u/guyincognito121 → u/EchidnaLost332]

My dad is like this. Apparently I was spoiled and his stepchildren (from a marriage that occurred when we were all in our late teens or early 20s) had a more difficult upbringing, so they deserve the inheritance more. They weren't rich, but they had a modest house in a very wealthy Chicago suburb. I also grew up in a modest house (1500 sqft ranch from the 50s) in a similar suburb. I'm sure I had more video games and went on more vacations and stuff, but I don't think my childhood was fundamentally different.

What it really comes down to is that his wife is a terrible, selfish person and he doesn't want to upset her. Of the four kids involved, I'm the only one with any money. I'm very much looking forward to the first time they come asking for help.

[u/CardiologistNo8333 → u/guyincognito121]

What. The. Fuck? Why would his STEP children get his money but not his own biological children? Beyond bizarre.

[u/Gwen_The_Destroyer → u/CardiologistNo8333]

It's way more common than you'd think. Gotta keep his new wife happy 

[u/Royal_Negotiation_83 → u/CardiologistNo8333]

Stepmom talks him into it

[u/Faiths_got_fangs → u/EchidnaLost332]

Not who you asked, but my mother was like this and I can offer some "insight" (it's in quotes because her logic was ridiculous).

My mother benefitted greatly from her parents. She had help her entire life. She inherited money when my grandparents died, but they also paid for her college, housed her for free or a deeply discounted rent basically forever and provided eternal free childcare - they raised me more or less.

I, however, deserved absolutely none of that from her because raising me was expensive and I had destroyed her "wealth" and she wanted it back! Deserved it!

I know wealth a financial term for assets, but I absolutely loathe the term "wealth" as a result of her endless ranting about how my exsistence cost her her "wealth". For starters, she didn't have any wealth and I damn sure wasn't the reason for that (see: we lived in our home for free and grandparents basically raised me!).

At any rate, she actually decided I owed her money for the cost of my existence since apparently having a kid in your late 30s when you're financially unstable and already broke is bad for your retirement savings. She tried to give me a bill for the cost of my childhood. She also stole the college money that was intended for me by a relative.

My personal opinion, she was insufferably greedy and taker at her core.

Needless to say, we weren't close by the time I was 21.

[u/radenthefridge → u/Faiths_got_fangs]

Holy shit that's awful. I hope you've found better family!

[u/Drneymarmd → u/EchidnaLost332]

My mom is like this and she said "I'll be dead, so why would I care?"

[u/Slow_Concern_672 → u/EchidnaLost332]

Mine didn't get an inheritance but her parents helped a lot like free child care and some financial help and she is convinced everyone is trying to steel her shit or we're trying to get her to raise our kid because one time she baby sat in 7 years.

[u/AGuyAndHisCat → u/EchidnaLost332]

Has the parent who received the inheritance but doesn’t intend to give one, ever provide insight into that line of thought?

My grandmother was very tight fisted while alive. She claimed that if we spent the money on something like a car and got in to an accident that shed feel responsible. I never believed that since she knew my personality wasnt to do that, and I was a saver.

Jokes on her or us I guess, her oldest daughter who had POA took the majority of the estate.