Personal finance expert Dave Ramsey has a warning for parents leaving money to their kids
Children who are raised well will not be destroyed by money, only 'magnified'
It is not uncommon for children to expect their parents to leave them money or assets in their will. However, financial expert Dave Ramsey disagrees. During an episode of "The Ramsey Show," he pointed out how parents were not "obligated" to leave their children the money they had worked hard for. The clip was shared on Ramsey's official Facebook page on August 9, 2025. It garnered 62,000 likes, 4,300 comments, and 5,600 reshares.
Boon or bane?
Ramsey began by stating, "If your parents have money, any of you out there, you are not entitled to their money — morally, spiritually, ethically." He stressed the fact that it was their money, and they could do whatever they wished with it. At the same time, he did not agree with the belief many parents had that leaving money for their children would destroy them. Wealth would only 'magnify' a person.
This includes both their positive and negative traits. He concluded by saying that if parents raised their kids well, the inheritance would be more of a boon than a bane. However, he does have some hilarious advice for those who wish to annoy people with decisions made in their own will. Ramsey said, "If you're going to piss somebody off on the will, have the courage to do it while alive."
Children don't owe anything either
In another video from September 8, 2024, Ramsey also pointed out that children do not owe their parents for raising them. He noted that paying for an adult child's bills is a weird concept to him. He added that paying for what they needed when they were children to grow and become "successful adults does not obligate them... That was your job. You’re the dad. That’s what you’re supposed to do," he emphasized. Since this was a question from one of the listeners, Ramsey called it "disgusting entitlement" on the part of the father.
What too much inheritance money can do
To understand the worries of rich parents, The Motley conducted a survey on 2,000 individuals with high net worths in 2021. 67% were worried about the possibility of leaving too much money to an heir. While some may say it is never too much money, 84% of those who received an inheritance between $500,000 and $1 million agreed that there is such a thing. Jack Caporal, a Motley Fool research analyst, said, "What’s clear is that high net worth individuals are concerned about the effects of leaving too large an inheritance." Coming back to Ramsey's point, he believed that if children are raised well, there is nothing to worry about when it comes to leaving them their inheritance.
The comment section was a mix of responses. The majority respected their parents' decision, whether they received the inheritance or it was given away to charities and organizations. Utz Mcmahon wrote, "My father would slip me $20 every so often. Better in the warm hand than out of the cold, dead one." Tammy Brosch chimed in, "My parents left me their property and donated all their money to three of their favorite foundations. As they should."
You can follow Dave Ramsey on Facebook for more finance-related content.
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