The Boomer Stuff Avalanche
Boomers Spent Their Lives Accumulating Stuff. Now Their Kids Are Stuck With It
The Lede
Many millennials, Gen Xers, and Gen Zers are now facing the question of what to do with their parents' and grandparents' possessions as their loved ones downsize or die. Some boomers are even still managing the process with their parents. The process can be arduous, overwhelming, and painful.
Key Details
- Much has been made of the "great wealth transfer" as baby boomers pass on a combined $84.4 trillion in wealth to younger generations.
- Getting less attention is the "great stuff transfer," where everybody has to decipher what to do with the older generations' things. And because boomers have been remaining in their homes, the situation is even worse.
- Trying to smooth over generational differences in taste can be knotty. Millennials are more mobile and more minimalist, to some extent, than their parents.