Are Parents Giving Too Much?

Now? I’m not so sure.

I am the CEO of VisionRE, a realty advisory firm. I’ve been in the real estate consulting business for over ten years. Specifically, over the last 2.5 years, I have been asked to advise on the remediation of troubled real estate assets across the US as a response to changes in the market. Real estate was once considered a relatively safe way to earn income and build wealth. But now with shifts in interest rates, demand, and regulations, many properties are struggling with cash flow and have crippling debt — which leaves the owners without a lucrative parnassah.

Recently, I posted on LinkedIn about wealth, children, and inheritance. I shared how I’ve seen families fall apart when “Dad’s hard-earned money” — or his inheritance — is lost, leading to resentment or broken relationships. And how even when children inherit wealth or join their father’s business, they are often unequipped to manage it because those skills were never needed when dollar bills were simply handed to them on a golden tray.

Why does this happen?

Many children grow up with the belief that their parents’ money is essentially “theirs,” as if it is owed to them. And when that money is lost, they feel personally wronged — a mindset that is unhealthy and deeply misguided, and it can lead to family machlokes.

And as a result of entitlement, there’s a deeper issue too: a lack of preparation. Having only seen an endless flow of easy money, these children often don’t have the skills and tools to acquire or manage wealth properly if it ever comes their way.