Quick Take:
- $125 trillion is expected to move from baby boomers to heirs and charities over the next two decades.
- Many families lack formal estate plans and delay critical conversations, putting relationships and wealth at risk.
- RIAs play a complex role, guiding clients through legacy, tax and philanthropic decisions while building trust across generations.
- Origin Investments provides resources and expertise to help advisors deliver comprehensive, client-centered planning during this pivotal transition.
The largest wealth transfer in human history is officially underway.
Over the next two decades, nearly $125 trillion in assets is expected to shift from baby boomers to their heirs and beneficiaries. The magnitude of this transition has been widely discussed. Registered investment advisors (RIAs) have an unprecedented opportunity, and responsibility, to guide families through complex planning while helping preserve intergenerational wealth. How can advisors create practical strategies to improve their clients’ outcomes—especially when it comes to incorporating estate planning and tax-efficient investing strategies into the broader wealth conversation?
The numbers are staggering. By 2048, $105 trillion is projected to pass to heirs, primarily from high-net-worth and mass-affluent households, according to Cerulli. An additional $18 trillion will be donated to charities. Over $62 trillion is expected to come from high- and ultra-high-net-worth households. And more than $54 trillion will pass first between spouses, with nearly $40 trillion going to widowed women. Much of this wealth is held in illiquid assets, including real estate, business interests and concentrated stock positions. This makes proactive planning essential.
Wealthy Families are Delaying Estate Planning
For advisors, these aren’t just statistics. The numbers represent clients in motion and relationships at risk of loss if strategic generational planning isn’t initiated early.
However, it’s not just the amount of the transfer that is significant, but the dynamics represented:
- Just 53% of ultra-wealthy families have a formal estate plan despite growing next-gen involvement (UBS 2025 Global Family Office Report).
- 67% of wealth holders admit delaying estate conversations. However, 84% say they prioritize generational financial security for their heirs (RBC Wealth Transfer Report, May 2025).
- 81% of next-gen heirs plan to fire their parents’ advisor within two years of receiving their inheritances. They cite poor digital access and limited exposure to alts (Global Markets Group, June 2025).
- 65% of Gen X and millennial heirs regret how they invested inherited wealth. Only one in five consulted an advisor first (Capital Group, June 2025).
Estate Planning for RIAs: From Portfolio Management to Stewardship
This moment calls for a shift from portfolio management to family wealth stewardship. Many RIAs are already navigating this transition with skill and care. Today’s advisory role extends well beyond investment selection. It encompasses guiding families through complex decisions about legacy, tax efficiency and philanthropy. As well, it includes stewardship of both financial and non-financial assets.
We recognize that RIAs are often at the center of multi-generational conversations, balancing the needs and values of clients and their heirs with evolving regulatory, technological and market challenges. This is demanding, nuanced work. Our goal is to support that stewardship—through technical insights, educational resources and collaborative planning—so advisors can deliver the comprehensive guidance their clients expect and deserve.
Advisors who serve as cross-generational guides—understanding financial planning and tax mitigation as well as the values and preferred legacy of their clients—are well positioned to earn and retain the trust of both current clients and their heirs. Aspects of this role often include:
- Integrating trust, estate and tax planning to align family wealth goals across generations
- Implementing tax-efficient investment, gifting and liquidity strategies to minimize drag and enhance after-tax returns
- Structuring strategic philanthropic plans, such as donor-advised funds and charitable trusts
- Repositioning legacy assets, including real estate and business interests, into diversified, passive vehicles
Building strong relationships with next-generation family members—through education, open communication, and ongoing engagement—ensures trust and long-term alignment. At Origin, our role is to support your efforts with resources, technical insights and collaborative planning.
Tax-Efficient Strategies to Preserve Intergenerational Wealth
The trillion-dollar wealth transfer is no longer a theoretical event on the horizon—it’s happening now. Advisors who embrace this shift and proactively guide their clients with thoughtful, tax-aware strategies will be best positioned to retain relationships for generations to come. Private real estate strategies can be powerful tools for families with appreciated assets, legacy investment properties or upcoming liquidity events.
In today’s environment, RIAs recognize that early and ongoing conversations are essential for aligning family wealth goals across generations. As part of this process, integrating tax-efficient and philanthropic strategies—such as 1031/721 exchanges and Qualified Opportunity Zone (QOZ) investments—can help minimize tax drag and enhance after-tax returns for clients.
At Origin, we understand that every advisory practice has its own compliance and planning protocols. And we encourage RIAs to consult with their internal teams to tailor these strategies to their clients’ needs and circumstances. Our goal is to be a collaborative resource as you navigate the increasingly complex landscape of estate, tax, and investment planning.
Two Investments That Support Legacy Goals
We partner with RIAs to uncover and reposition held-away assets by solving complex planning challenges around tax efficiency, real estate ownership, and intergenerational wealth transfer. Two of the most impactful tools available today are the 1031/721 exchange structure and Qualified Opportunity Zone (QOZ) investments. If you’d like to learn more about how our tax-advantaged real estate solutions can support your clients’ intergenerational planning, reach out to our team.
We are committed to partnership and knowledge sharing. Many of our resources are designed to educate independent investors about private multifamily real estate investment funds. We offer specialized solutions such as Qualified Opportunity Zone (QOZ) investments and 1031 exchanges. And we support advisors and investors with expertise, educational content and collaborative problem-solving. We believe that by working together, we can help clients make informed decisions and navigate complex planning challenges, especially during this era of significant wealth transfer.
