Black Americans are losing out on a $68 trillion wealth transfer. But what can fix the problem? Planning ahead.

“According to an analysis of high net worth and ultra-high net worth markets by consulting group Cerulli Associates, by 2047, trillions will have been passed down to future generations, and due to a lag in estate planning in Black America, Blacks might not actively transfer wealth to their descendants,” reads a new report in the Atlanta Black Star.

Put simply, white Americans remain wealthier than other ethnic groups because they keep the money in the family. The Brookings Institute reports that on average, the typical net worth of a white family was $171,000 in 2016, which is nearly ten times the value of the typical net worth of a Black family (which only held a little over $17,000 in assets in 2016). And while the numbers haven’t jumped significantly in the past few years, Black Americans are missing out on whatever wealth they may be entitled to because of the lack of estate planning.

Atlanta Black Star reports, “By not having a will that indicates who should receive your property and assets, ‘so many families lose their family access and ownership of land,'” said Brickson Diamond, co-founder of Black House Foundation, a nonprofit that creates new opportunities for the Black community in the film world.

Wealth Transfer

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