American Adults Save Only Half Of Inheritance

A new national study conducted by researchers at Ohio State University’s Center for Human Resource Research found that adults who receive an inheritance save approximately half. The remainder is spent, donated or lost.

For many retailers and others who stand to benefit from those who spend or mishandle monetary legacies, that statistic bodes well. But for others, including the author of the study, it comes as a disappointment.

Prior research has shown that over the next decade, elderly and aging Americans will pass down around $4 trillion to heirs. That means $2 trillion saved and a roughly equal amount…