Touching an inheritance, necessarily the jackpot? why is it a fantasy

• Will an inheritance change your life?

  Behind the myth of succession, which makes it possible to build up a fortune, inheritances actually change little in social status, according to a report by the Observatory of Inequalities.

• Because, he shows, inheritance digs deeper into differences in wealth than it reduces them.

• 20 Minutes

  explains to you in four graphs how a succession will not change, but on the contrary will accentuate, your social status.

Inheritance, will, heritage… These words have necessarily already crossed your mind, and they may have even been the source of heated debates at family meals or at the notary's.

But behind the myth of the rich uncle exiled in America who will allow the whole family to live well after his death, is inheritance a real

in a life?

Or do the French tend to overdo it on the subject?

The Observatory of inequalities has just published a report on the rich in France.

In particular, there is a chapter devoted to inheritance, with figures on its real impact during a lifetime.

takes stock in four graphics.

And watch out for disappointments.

A legacy, not for everyone

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The report's first lesson is that inheritance is really not for everyone.

Below the age of 60, the majority of French households have received none.

Before the age of 40, 81% of households have not received any inheritance.

And after 60 years, they are still 46% to have touched nothing.

Conclusion for Louis Maurin, sociologist and director of the Observatory of Inequalities: “About half of the French will never touch an inheritance, and those who will touch it will generally do so very late.

So it's not something that changes an ongoing life in most cases.

And at time T, only 37% of households had received an inheritance in 2018, according to INSEE.

In 66% of cases, an inheritance of less than 30,000 euros

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When talking about inheritance, do not expect crazy sums: 87% in France are less than 100,000 euros, 66% less than 30,000 euros and even 39% under 8,000 euros.

“8,000 euros is a significant sum, of course, but it does not allow you to change your life or your social status.

Inheritance is a bonus, not a major upheaval, in the majority of cases,” continues Louis Maurin.

Who adds: “What this study shows is that your profession changes your standard of living much more than your inheritance.

»

A sum depending on the professional category…

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The sum of the perceived inheritance largely depends on the socio-professional category.

Thus, the share of workers (skilled or not) receiving an inheritance of more than 100,000 euros is so insignificant that it does not appear in the percentages.

On the contrary, more than a quarter of farmers, craftsmen, traders, entrepreneurs and intermediate professions will receive such an amount of inheritance.

Even if you have to be wary of raw data, notes Louis Maurin: “For the independent professions in particular, a good part of the inheritance is in reality work tools bequeathed to continue the profession”.

… and its own heritage

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Inheritances of more than 100,000 euros mostly benefit people who already have assets of more than 100,000 euros, the report shows.

“These sums relate to already wealthy families, whose heirs did not wait for the inheritance to be rich.

Inheritance is not a social changer, it is a developer of inequalities, since in the overwhelming majority of cases, the rich are self-sustaining among themselves,” concludes Louis Maurin.

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