Trending – ‘living legacies’

Over-55s are increasingly looking to help their families out financially while they are still alive, rather than leaving everything in the form of an inheritance. Research¹ has revealed a trend towards ‘living legacies’, due to increased life expectancy pushing up the average age at which younger generations inherit from their parents. People born in the 1980s are now predicted to receive their inheritance at age 64 on average, compared to 58 for those born in the 1960s.

Historically, the risk of running out of money during retirement has prevented many older people from offering financial support during their lifetime. This concern appears to be lessening, however, with a third of researchers’ respondents saying they’d be unwilling to help a family member onto the property ladder without knowing how much they’d need in retirement – against half of respondents to the same survey in 2016.

Aviva’s Matt McGill commented, “This increasing tendency towards considering helping out now rather than beneficiaries receiving an inheritance after death is perhaps a reflection of the turbulence and uncertainty that everyone has been through since we previously ran our survey in 2016, and which shows no sign of diminishing. Along with the hardship people have faced, it’s also been a time of reflection for many and this could have included a resolution to live more for the moment and help family and loved ones now.”

¹Aviva, 2022