The well-known business adage "shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves in three generations" portrays a cautionary tale of how successful wealth creators risk having their life's work squandered by heirs, leaving grandchildren and other relatives left to start the process of building wealth all over again.
New data has called into question the accuracy of this premise, finding that such fear-based planning can hinder the ability of future generations to build on past success and even lead to family tension. In fact, behavioral research finds that building confidence and trust is more effective in equipping rising generations for the responsibilities of protecting and growing wealth rather than rigid and overly restrictive estate plans.
The Northern Trust Institute has studied the behavioral patterns of thousands of families and found five clear behavioral patterns that lead to success, generation after generation. In this sense, success is defined not just in monetary terms, but also in the well-being and happiness of your whole family. Request our report to find out what we’ve learned.
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