Peacefully Divvying Up Mom's Stuff After She's Gone

Peacefully Divvying Up Mom's Stuff After She's Gone

Baby boomers stand to inherit more than $8 trillion in assets, according to the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College -- including items many consider priceless, like Dad's fountain pen or Mom's favorite earrings.
While you can name beneficiaries for such objects in a will, many people simply direct that goods be divided equally among their children. That leaves the executor, often one of the kids, with the Solomonic task of meting out heirlooms. Add in grief, resentment, and siblings' knowledge of how to push one another's buttons, and you can imagine the emotional tinderbox that results.

Popular in the Community

Close

What's Hot