Genç Amerikalılar parayı, varlıkları miras almayı bekliyor ama bu gerçek olmayabilir

Young Americans are expecting to inherit money, assets, but this might not be reality

Moneywise

Wed, August 19, 2026 at 1:05 PM GMT+3 6 min read

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For all the hoopla about the upcoming $90 trillion "Great Wealth Transfer", it appears likely that very few Americans will actually be on the receiving end of the massive inheritance pot.

Research from 2024 out of Northwestern Mutual shows a troubling mismatch of expectations (1).

While 38% of Gen Z anticipate they'll receive an inheritance, only 22% of boomers plan to leave one behind. That's a startling reality, given half of the survey's respondents also said an inheritance would be critical for their long-term financial security.

If you're among the majority who won't be able to rely upon an inheritance, there are steps you can take today to build wealth for tomorrow.

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How to start building wealth

It's crucial to leverage the power of compound returns as soon as you can, because if your money isn't being put to work while you sleep, it's losing value. While it's important to have cash set aside for emergency savings or money you'll use in the short-run, cash isn't always king. Cash is actually always at risk of deteriorating in value, unless you've got it in the right place.

This becomes particularly obvious when we look at the latest US inflation figures and across-the-board price rises. In 2025, consumer prices were 3.0% higher than the previous year, which is also 1.0% above the Federal Reserve's 2.0% inflation target (2). There are simple ways to make sure you don't end up surprised and unequipped for those rising costs.

Make sure you bolster those cash reserves

No matter your age or in come level, having emergency funds set asideis especially crucial if you don't have an inheritance coming your way. Make sure you have enough money set aside for several months of your expenses before you lock any cash away.

But just because you're setting funds aside doesn't mean you can't earn interest on them too. With a high-yield savings account you can watch your money grow, while also being able to access and withdraw it at any time. That makes it much easier to get the cash back into your hands, if you ever should need it.

One of the easiest ways to invest is to open a self-directed trade account with SoFi. This DIY approach allows you to invest with no commission fees, plus, for a limited time, you can get up to $1,000 in stock when you fund a new account.

SoFi is designed to help you learn investing as you go, with real-time investing news, curated content and the data you need to make smart decisions about the stocks that matter most to you.

Once you're comfortable with your emergency pot of savings, you can start looking at other ways to earn interest on your remaining funds.

One low-risk way to earn interest on your cash is with a certificate of deposit (CD).

Think of a CD as a savings account where you hold a fixed amount of money for a set amount of time. Shorter-term CDs, like those from six months to one year, would be suitable for the cash you aren't yet ready to invest in the stock market.

Putting that money into a CD is helpful because you can typically access it sooner than you would if you were investing in the stock market. That's because you should be prepared to part ways with your investment for at least five years in order to weather the ebbs and flows of the stock market.

CDs are different, as they're usually accessible in a smaller amount of time, and they offer guaranteed returns – something the stock market can never provide.

A platform like CD Valet can help you find higher-yield options that work for you, whether you're saving for something soon or building a cushion for the long haul.

CD Valet tracks over 40,000 verified rates from FDIC-insured banks and NCUA-insured credit unions nationwide. Unlike other websites, they show every publicly available rate, ensuring you have a comprehensive view of the market.

Plus, their CD rates are updated continuously, so you can shop, compare and open CDs with ease.

But beware: if you withdraw the funds before the end of the CD's term, you can face penalty feed.

Plan now for peace of mind

The vast array of saving and investing options out there can seem overwhelming.

Whether you need help figuring out your investing strategy or simply want to mitigate the effects of inflation on your finances, consulting a professional can help you make sure you have a plan that equips you to protect the wealth you're in the process of building.

Advisor.com can help you find the advice you're looking for by connecting you with the right financial experts who understand your unique situation, and your financial goals for the future.

Their online platform is a streamlined way to find the best advisor for you and your needs. Once you select one of your advisor matches, you can schedule a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss your goals and develop strategies to secure your portfolio.

Not inheriting property? You can still invest in real estate

Young adults are almost twice as likely to live with their parents than 30 years ago, but that doesn't necessarily mean they'll inherit the property they call home. Plus, given 60% of US homeowners still have a mortgage, a property inheritance doesn't always come without strings (and interest payments) attached.

And for most of American history, housing prices have increased at a slightly-higher rate than US inflation. Though, in periods such as the 'Great Moderation' (from 1990-2006), housing returns were even greater than stock market returns.

While that means real estate can be a good investment, it's can be an expensive and often inaccessible one too.

The good news is there are plenty of ways to access real estate without forking out the money to buy a property outright.

For example, Arrived is another terrific example of how you can access the real estate market without having to purchase expensive property or assume the responsibilities of a landlord.

The easy-to-use platform has all sorts of SEC-qualified investments including rental homes and vacation rentals that are accessible regardless of your income.

It's even backed by world class investors, from Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, to Salesforce CEO, Marc Benioff — talk about a stamp of approval.

Start by browsing their curated selection of homes, which include insights into their appreciation prospects and income potential. Once you find the property you're after, you simply choose the number of shares you want to buy, and invest.

Another option is Lightstone DIRECT, which offers accredited investors access to institutional-quality multifamily and industrial real estate — with a minimum investment of $100,000.

Founded in 1986 by David Lichtenstein, Lightstone Group is one of the largest privately held real estate investment firms in the U.S., with more than $12 billion in assets under management.

Over nearly-four decades, their team has delivered strong, risk-adjusted performance across multiple market cycles — including a 27.5% historical net IRR and a 2.49x historical net equity multiple on realized investments since 2004.

With Lightstone DIRECT, you gain access to that proprietary deal flow.

Here's the kicker: Lightstone invests at least 20% of its own capital in every deal — roughly four times the industry average. With its skin in the game, the firm ensures its interests are directly aligned with those of its investors.

Secure your retirement

If your retirement nest egg isn't at the size you want it to be and you don't have a large inheritance coming to you, gold can be your 'safe haven' to mitigate the impact of inflation.

Typically, it's also more stable than stocks during economic downturns and recessions. In fact, gold has increased in value sevenfold over the last 100 years.

Another reason to invest in precious metals like gold is that they can provide significant tax advantages. This is especially important for retirement planning.

Opening a gold IRA with the help of Goldco allows you to invest in gold and other precious metals in physical forms while also providing the significant tax advantages of an IRA.

With a minimum purchase of $10,000, Goldco offers will match up to 10% of qualified purchases in free silver.

If you're curious whether this is the right investment to diversify your portfolio, you can download your free gold and silver information guide today.