“Wherever I have gone, I have been quite aware of being wealthy, having always been wealthy, having always had money, never having had to worry about money. I’m very conscious of it, and it causes me to feel guarded, not in the sense of not letting know because they might take some of it but guarded almost in a confusion of embarrassment or apology. It isn’t shame, it’s a sense of, ‘uh oh, if this gets out, I’ll have to apologize.’ ”

From “Raleigh Jordan,” The Legacy of Inherited Wealth: Interviews with Heirs, by Barbara Blouin and Katherine Gibson, Trio Press/The Inheritance Project

Here is a second excerpt from Wealth Counseling: A Guide for Therapists and Inheritors Dennis Pearne, Trio Press/Inheritance Project, 1999

“Love is frequently confused with money in wealthy families. Parents who are away a lot may try to make up for their absences with gifts. They may also use money, instead of love and approval, to attempt to influence behavior and shape a child’s development. Read More→

“Inheriting wealth can and should be empowering. The gift of wealth is a valuable resource that may be used to live a fulfilling, integrated and productive life. However, the experiences of growing up with and inheriting wealth are frequently traumatic. Read More→

“We are in new territory when we consider the psychological dimensions of estate planning. Although we take for granted the legal machinery of wills and trust-making, there is no guidance generally available to help parents investigate their feelings about passing their wealth along. Read More→

“In planning their estates, wealthy parents have the opportunity to look carefully at what they have to give to their children, in terms of both spiritual and financial wealth. They also have the opportunity to become aware of the ramifications of what they bequeath. Read More→

This excerpt begins a series of wisdom from a booklet offered only by The Inheritance Project. Check this site for more material in the coming two weeks.

“Whether we acknowledge it or not, estate planning is fraught with emotionally-charged decisions. The prospect of sending our wealth into the future without us can be daunting. As we weigh the risks and advantages of passing along significant assets to our offspring, we encounter our feelings about our money, our children and ourselves. This article follows the adventures of … a fictional family created to illustrate the challenges of leaving wealth to children. Read More→

I just read Nora Ephron’s short autobiographical piece in the October 11 New Yorker. (In case you don’t know who Nora Ephron is: she is an author and a screenplay writer. Her best known screenplay is “When Harry Met Sally.”) My life as an heiress Read More→