Transfer of Wealth

About the Transfer of Wealth Study

Ozarks members of the “greatest generation” are in the midst of transfering an estimated $47.2 billion of accumulated wealth to their heirs and others. For Missouri as a whole, that transfer of wealth will reach $134 billion. Over 50 years, that amount increases to a staggering $565 billion for the Ozarks and $1.5 trillion for Missouri as a whole.

These findings are included in a statewide “Wealth in Missouri and its Counties” study, conducted by the Center for Rural Entrepreneurship in Lincoln, Neb., for the Alliance of Missouri Community Foundations with support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

This nationwide trend is considered the largest-ever transfer of wealth between generations in the history of the United States. It’s the result of the “greatest generation” returning from World War II to rebuild America and, in the process, accumulate wealth that is being passed down through succeeding generations.

The goal of the Alliance is to encourage donors to consider a “5 percent solution” by including community-based philanthropic interests as 5 percent of their estate planning. In the Ozarks, that would capture $2.3 billion over the 10-year period, which would create $118 million a year in charitable resources using a 5 percent payout per year.

This emphasis on capturing this one-time transfer of wealth opportunity is significant for several reasons. As smaller towns, in particular, lose population when young adults move away, they also may lose these potential assets because the children likely to receive the inheritances have demonstrated vastly different saving and spending habits.

“If we don’t use this historic opportunity to encourage the people who built our communities to help sustain them for the generations that follow, we stand to lose resources that will never be replaced,” CFO President Brian Fogle said. “Keeping wealth achieved in the Ozarks for the future benefit of the Ozarks fits well with our culture of self reliance.”