Inheritance trends changing in America

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Past generations prided themselves on leaving money to their kids, but not so much anymore. More parents are saying there's nothing left to inherit.

It's a conversation many avoid.

"It's something she wants to talk about, something I don't want to talk about," student Annie Pham said.

When mom and dad pass on, what will be left behind?

"She does have a lot of financial assets set aside for us," Pham said.

But professor John Lopez with the Bauer College of Business says times are changing.

"Parents may not have enough for their own retirement, much less leave some for their children," Lopez said.

According to a recent study by TD Ameritrade, only 16 percent of parents said they plan to leave an inheritance for their children.

"Right now I'm pretty much under the assumption that I'm not going to be left anything," 22-year-old Sam Orelove said.

"I don't expect to be left anything, it would be nice if I was," 23-year-old Adam Maslia said.

However, 40 percent of young Americans believe something will be left behind.

"Nothing too spectacular, but I mean a house is a house," student Nicholas Levine said.

The problem is as people live longer, they're using up their retirement nest egg.

"Unfortunately a lot of people are not going to have the assets that are going be required to sustain a lifestyle into those later years," Lopez said.

Advice for younger generations?

Save early and save often, something Houston's own Erica Rose is starting to listen to. Famous for her appearances on ABC's "The Bachelor," Rose tells us she's in the beginning stages of mapping out her future finances.

"I think that people need to take matters into their own hands and be proactive and worry about their own careers, and make something of themselves," she said.

Her father, Dr. Franklin Rose, agrees.

"It's really up to the child to establish their own benchmarks and their own achievements," he said. "That's what will give them both economic stability and self esteem."

Research also shows that parents are helping to pay for rising costs of their children's college education. In turn, they're not expecting their kids to help if they run into financial troubles during retirement.

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