An ongoing index clocking the The Great Wealth Transfer, the largest intergenerational wealth shift in American history.
Facts. Not forecasts. Updated quarterly.
Projected dollars transferring through 2048: $123.7 trillion
(Cerulli Associates, 2025)
Portion projected to heirs: $105.3 trillion
(Cerulli Associates)
(Cerulli Associates)
Transfers expected to occur before 2035 (core Gen X window): Approximately $14 trillion
(Cerulli Associates)
Share of transfers originating with Baby Boomers: 63%
(Morgan Stanley)
Wealth transferring “horizontally” from husbands to wives before children inherit: $54 trillion
(Cerulli Associates; UBS)
Percentage of inter-spousal transfers going to women: 95%
(UBS, Own Your Worth Report 2025)
Women projected to control by 2030: $30 trillion of Boomer assets
(UBS)
Americans without a will: 52%
(Northwestern Mutual, 2024)
Americans who believe they “don’t have enough assets” to need a will: 40%
(Caring.com, 2025)
General population with a living trust: 13%
(Caring.com, 2025)
Assets that will transfer at death rather than lifetime gifting: Approximately 90%
(Cerulli Associates)
Average probate cost as percentage of estate: 3–7%
(Trust & Will, 2024)
Average probate duration: 20 months
(Trust & Will, 2024)
Digital assets estimated never inherited due to access failures: 67%
(Dglegacy; Allworth Financial)
Federal estate tax threshold (2026, permanent under 2025 legislation):
$15 million per individual / $30 million per couple
(Katten; Davis+Gilbert)
Households affected by federal estate tax at that threshold: Approximately 0.5%
(Katten; CRS synthesis)
States imposing estate or inheritance taxes: 12 states + DC
(Tax Foundation; ACTEC)
States taxing estates beginning at $1 million: Oregon
(JRC Insurance Group)
Maximum inheritance tax rate in certain states: 15–18%
(ACTEC; JRC Insurance Group)
Years non-spouse heirs must drain inherited retirement accounts: 10
(IRS; Fidelity; Franklin Templeton)
Inherited wealth dissipated by the second generation: Approximately 70%
(Williams Group)