Would a little inheritance help a lot at the moment?

While one-in-six Australians (18 per cent) have inherited some form of wealth from a family member, two-in-five (38 per cent) expect to do so.

So how much do they think they’re going to get? The youngest adult children, those aged 18 to 29, expect $525,000, says research by Colonial First State. Meanwhile, the 50-to-64 cohort anticipates half of this.

Four-in-five Australians want to leave their family members an inheritance.Credit: Karl Hilzinger

In any case, four-in-five Australians (82 per cent) want to leave their family members an inheritance.

So let’s look at how they are giving it before we, crucially, delve into when. Because what’s called a “living inheritance” can change younger generations’ lives … but also jeopardise the livelihoods of their parents.

As you’d guess, the bulk of money is flowing from parents to their progeny (29 per cent), with grandparents supplying the next-largest amount (17 per cent), says Colonial First State.

What would happen if a son’s or daughter’s relationship goes south? Because the last thing anyone wants is the money being sucked into the asset pool of a separation settlement.

It’s almost a tie between whether the lucky recipients are getting cash (or any remaining super), at 78 per........

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