Shifting Tides: Addressing Wealth Disparities and Intergenerational Wealth Transfer 

This Beyond Generations series—and accompanying Generations Now blog posts—explores trends and possibilities related to intergenerational wealth transfer, addressing historical inequalities and embracing systemic opportunities to enhance wealth accumulation across a lifetime for people as they age.

Securing Intergenerational Wealth by Investing in Anti-Poverty Programs for Older Adults

By Tracey Gronniger and Denny Chan

New Podcast Series

Shifting Tides: Addressing Wealth Disparities and Intergenerational Wealth Transfer

With a historically significant transfer of wealth in the United States underway, the intersection of longevity, wealth disparities and wealth transfer is a timely issue for families, communities and the economy. Combined, these issues underscore how economic opportunities often build across generations, and how the ongoing wealth transfer presents an opportunity to narrow, not exacerbate, wealth divides in the United States. With intentional action and investment, all communities can potentially benefit from the current great wealth transfer. 

Legacy Interrupted: What Will We Leave Behind?

In this framing episode of the Beyond Generations podcast series, we talk with AARP’s Vice President for Thought Leadership, Staci Alexander, about the current and historic intergenerational wealth transfer—and why most families of color are locked out. From housing and caregiving to estate planning and policy reform, Alexander lays out what must change if we want to build a future where every family has a chance to leave—and receive—a legacy. 

Read the Generations Now article on Wealth Disparities in a Moment of Unprecedented Intergenerational Wealth Transfer.

More than Shelter: Homeownership, Wealth and Equity

In this episode of Beyond Generations, we sit down with Adrienne Goolsby, Senior Vice President of U.S. Office and Canada, at Habitat for Humanity International, to explore why homeownership is still one of the most powerful tools for building intergenerational wealth in the United States—and why far too many families, especially households of color, have been shut out of this opportunity.

Read the Generations Now article on Passing Down Prosperity Via Home Ownership.

The Wealth–Health Connection: How Inequities Shape Generations

Wealth and health are closely linked across our lifespans. In this episode, Dawn Carpenter of the Milken Institute explores how economic status influences health outcomes—and how our health, in turn, can fortify or erode financial stability. From housing to stress, childhood development to systemic racism, Carpenter unpacks the hidden drivers of inequality and their intergenerational consequences. We’ll also discuss promising solutions—like early childhood investments, tax credits, and integrated programs—that can help break the cycle of disparity and foster financial and physical well-being across generations.

Read the Generations Now article on Securing Intergenerational Wealth by Investing in Anti-Poverty Programs for Older Adults.

Passing It On—or Passing It By: Wealth, Race, and the Civil Rights Generation

America is entering the largest intergenerational wealth transfer in history—an estimated $124 trillion moving from older to younger generations. At first glance, this moment seems poised to reshape opportunity for millions of families. But beneath the surface lies a sobering question: Unless policy and practice change, will this “great wealth transfer” actually cement America’s deep racial wealth divide? In this episode, we sit down with Dedrick Asante-Muhammad, President of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, to explore the intersection of wealth, race and generational change. We’ll discuss the role of the Civil Rights Generation (born 1925–1955)—a cohort that fought for political equality but saw economic equality stall—and how their legacy collides with today’s unprecedented concentration of wealth. From the impact of tax policy to the question of what older Americans can do to pass on not just wealth, but equity, we’ll explore what it will take to turn this moment into an opportunity for justice rather than another barrier erected to keep wealth divided.

Read the Generations Now article on The Civil Rights Generation, the Great Wealth Transfer and Our Need to Address the Racial Wealth Divide.

Wills, Wealth and Justice: How Estate Planning Can Narrow the Racial Wealth Gap

This episode explores how something as seemingly simple as having a will can shape the future of wealth equity in America. Jean-Pierre Aubry, Founder and CEO of Aubry Wealth Management, joins us to unpack why wills and estate planning matter so deeply for families of color. Without a clear plan in place, property titles can become tangled, assets can be lost, and opportunities to pass wealth to the next generation often vanish. We will examine the numbers behind estate planning disparities—why Black and Hispanic families are far less likely to have wills compared to white families, and how those disparities widen the racial wealth gap. We’ll also address the challenges faced by unmarried partners, chosen families, and those who feel they “don’t have enough” to justify a will, as well as systemic barriers that make estate planning feel out of reach. With clarity and urgency, Aubry lays out how wills can serve as powerful tools for wealth preservation, inheritance, and justice. Listeners will learn about low-cost resources, promising community strategies, and policy approaches that could help expand access to estate planning and begin to close the wealth gap.

Read the Generations Now article on The Civil Rights Generation, the Great Wealth Transfer and Our Need to Address the Racial Wealth Divide.

Building Legacies Across Generations: Wealth Transfer and the Aging Divide

Over the next two decades, the United States will experience the largest transfer of wealth in history—an estimated $124 trillion moving from older generations to younger ones. But this historic moment comes with a critical question: will it close the wealth gap, or widen it? 

In this episode, recorded live at the Prosperity Summit in Washington, DC, on Oct. 6, 2025, we bring together four powerful voices from the national, legal and local levels: Amera Bilal, an equity-driven leader with Prince George’s County Government; Tracey Gronniger, Managing Director of Economic Security at Justice in Aging; Maria Jaramillo, Division Director for Financial Empowerment at the National Disability Institute; and Linna Zhu, Senior Research Associate in the Housing and Finance Policy Center at the Urban Institute. Together, we’ll unpack how the transfer of wealth will impact economic security, the structural inequities shaping who benefits, and the urgent policies and innovations needed to ensure equity as people age. 

This isn’t just about economics—it’s about dignity, opportunity, and justice across generations.