Always avoid these inheritance mistakes!

Inheritance is a big thing, and people are up to do so much to get that sweet dollar. It is not unusual to watch the TV or read the news and find out about a new and juicy case involving inherited wealth.

Foks fight over inheritance, and this is not something unusual. But if you want to do everything right, you should avoid some inheritance mistakes. There are a few of them, and as much as people talk about inherited money, so many talk about these inheritance mistakes.

It is important to be aware of what can go wrong so you can make a good plan and the process can go along smoothly. Every dollar can easily spark a disagreement, so you better be prepared and know how to act in case anything happens.

1. Skipping generations

Maybe you look at your kids, and they seem entirely capable of being secure as adults, so you’ve decided to skip them and give all of your wealth to your grandkids. Is this one of the inheritance mistakes? Absolutely yes!

Well, you definitely have good intentions; we get it, but this can cause a huge conflict between generations, and this will cause a bureaucratic mess.

For example, in some states, you will not be able to open such an account to a family member who is a minor without a guardianship account. This account will be supervised by the courts until the child reaches 21 years old.

Sometimes giving your wealth to grandchildren can also undermine the parenting process. If they know they have money waiting for them, the kids can dismiss the power of their parents and never listen to them. Now this is not something that always happens, but it can happen, so it’s better to know.

The best solution for this is to create a trust for your grandchildren and name the parents as trustees. This creates a sense of authority around the parents while also helping your grandkids have access to the money you leave them.

2. Not taking action

Not discussing and doing anything about the estate is one of the biggest inheritance mistakes, and many people are guilty of this. Yeah, we know it takes time and effort, but in the end, this will make things clear and simple.

Taking care of your assets before the inevitable comes makes the life of your children much easier. If things are clear, the conflicts will be less violent. Maybe you wanted this to happen when you received your inheritance, so why not take care and leave everything in order?

Wills are not just for the wealthy, and when this document is missing, stress levels will be through the roof. If you don’t want to distribute your assets, the state will do it for you, and the rules depend from state to state. Besides the fact that you’ll not be able to distribute your assistance as you wish, it will take more time, and your kids will have to pay extra expenses.

Some states add additional complications. For example, if you pass away without a will in Texas, a third-party attorney might need to search for any unknown heirs, with their fees being taken from the deceased’s estate.

3. False expectation

This is one of the inheritance mistakes, and besides this, creating false expectations is a big red flag no matter what. What we want to say is that you don’t want your kids to believe that they will get caviar and champagne, and in the end, they will get some pennies and a few pretzels.

Being embarrassed by your finances is not something bad, but this should not lead to lies. There should not be any illusions involved, and it’s critical to eliminate any possibility for this to happen.

Hiding the reality of your financial situation creates a false sense of security. You should be transparent about debts and personal budgeting and further discuss them with your partner or a financial advisor.

Confronting your financial situation head-on is the only way to stop making inheritance mistakes and avoid poor decision-making. Clear communication and realistic goal-setting are a must.

4. The curse of the caregiver

Let’s say that you have a child or a relative, and you agree that they take care of you, and as a reward, you will leave them the family home or all of your money. Ok, this is fine to do; after all, it’s your wish, but not discussing this situation with everyone involved is a huge one of the inheritance mistakes.

If your other kids find out about this after you are gone, imagine how hard the life of your caregiver will be. Maybe not all of them will be mad at them, but be sure that some will be, and the whole process will be slowed down.

So, make sure and communicate this decision while you are still alive. Doing this will eliminate any doubts and will protect the caregiver. Another idea would be to make a formal personal-care agreement that outlines the duties and how the caregiver will be compensated.

5. A big blended family

Well, we are talking about inheritance mistakes. This is not actually a mistake; after all, it is your family, and you can’t do much about it. But maybe you are in your second marriage and you want to leave your assets to your new spouse and to the kids you have from the first marriage. Maybe you don’t want to leave anything for your stepkids. Yes, this can sound evil, but things like this always happen, so you need to be prepared.

Never assume that if you leave everything to your spouse, they will automatically pass on what’s left to your children. To avoid complications, the best strategy would be to open a trust. Allocate funds to support your surviving spouse, and at the same time, make sure that whatever remains after their passing is directed to your children.

One obstacle to this approach can be choosing the right trustee. If your surviving spouse is the trustee, they have full control, and this might end up in overspending, potentially destroying what’s left for your children. If you want to combat this, give your kids the right to annual accountings so they can easily see how the money is being used.

6. The business problem

Ok, let’s say that you have a family business. But there is a problem, and you feel like giving equal parts to all of your kids is not the right thing to do. Why? Because only one kid helped you with the business. How can you arrange things in a way that will not turn the whole situation into a TV drama?

There are several approaches to managing this, depending on your business’s value, your involved child’s contribution, and your overall estate. But there is only one thing you need to always consider, and that will help you avoid inheritance mistakes: never put the active child in a position where they have to share decision-making with uninvolved siblings.

Giving the active child more ownership, issuing voting and nonvoting shares, or simply dividing other assets equally among the others can be a few solutions that should maintain the peace.

If you want a guide for all of this inheritance process, this book might help: The Inheritance Playbook: Helping Your Parents Pass the Torch, Not the Tax
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