Boomers Hold $93 Trillion in Assets — but Heirs May Inherit Less Than Half

Our take

While this research is US-focused, the underlying dynamics resonate strongly with South African property watchers. Local wealth transfer conversations are equally prone to overestimating what actually reaches the next generation — retirement costs, bond debt, estate duties, executor fees, and capital gains tax on property all take significant bites before heirs see a cent. For South African first-time buyers banking on an inheritance to fund a deposit, this research is a reality check. Parental wealth tied up in a primary residence — often the family's largest asset — may be needed to fund retirement care long before it becomes transferable. With sectional title and freehold prices in Cape Town, Sandton, and the Atlantic Seaboard remaining elevated, waiting for an inheritance windfall is a risky home-ownership strategy. For landlords and sellers, the more useful signal is this: early, structured transfers — whether through living annuities, gifting, or helping with a deposit — produce compounding equity benefits that outperform a lump-sum bequest years later. SA families with flexibility should speak to an estate planner about timing, especially given SARS's estate duty threshold and the annual R100 000 donations tax exemption. Agents working with younger buyers should understand that family-assisted deposits are increasingly common — and increasingly decisive.