Business Wire·Oct 20, 2026, 8:00 AM ET

Six in 10 Adult Children Report Family Conflict Brought on by Inheritance, Wells Fargo Study Finds

WFC

Wells Fargo's 2026 Wealth Transfer Study surveyed 817 Baby Boomer parents & 787 adult children from families with at least $1 million in investable assets to analyze wealth transfer dynamics.
Significant disconnects exist between generations, with 61% of adult children reporting negative family experiences tied to inheritance compared to 29% of parents.
While 93% of parents know the expected transfer amount, only 54% of adult children are aware of their anticipated inheritance.
Adult children express higher concern regarding family conflict (49%) triggered by inheritance discussions compared to parents (20%).
Despite 82% of adult children & 80% of parents valuing inheritance conversations, only 21% of parents report having detailed estate plan discussions with their children.
Adult children hesitate to initiate talks due to fears of appearing greedy (61%), while parents worry about demotivating kids (25%) or fostering entitlement (22%).
Although 81% of parents have complete estate-planning documents, 44% of those parents do not fully understand their own plans.
22% of adult children are unaware if they have been named as executors, trustees, or granted power of attorney.
A 48-percentage-point gap exists in family business succession, where 67% of heirs expect to inherit the business but only 19% of owners plan to transfer it.
84% of adult children believe speaking with their parents' financial advisor would improve their future preparedness, yet only 34% of parents have introduced their children to advisors.
Both generations agree that values (86% of parents, 84% of children) are more important to pass on than monetary assets.