Expecting an inheritance? Not so fast —-

Ron Lieber explains 8 Reasons You Should Not Expect an Inheritance, NY Times, June 21, 2008.

These reasons are as follows:

1. People who make it to 65 will live a lot longer.
2. Social Security and Medicare will probably change.
3. Fewer people have pensions, so they’re more wedded to the markets.
4. Out-of-pocket health care costs for retirees may soon hit seven figures a couple.
5. Divorced individuals may pass on less money.
6. It’s getting easier to drain a home’s equity.
7. Life insurance may not offer much help.
8. The transfer of wealth will increasingly happen while the older generations are still alive.

Special thanks to Joel Dobris (Professor of Law, UC Davis School of Law) for bringing this article to my attention.