My siblings clash over early inheritance

Recently, I have read a reader’s story that giving their children early inheritance improved their family’s relationship.

However, whether to leave an inheritance to children or to pass it down early, in my opinion, should depend on the circumstances of each family.

My parents sold their house two years ago and gave all the money to my younger brother and his spouse.

Afterward, he used half of that money to buy an apartment under his name and said it was his older brother’s share of the inheritance, and pocketed the other half.

Nothing was given to me, the middle daughter.

He also did not give anything to our parents, so they had to stay at my house for the past two years.

Just yesterday, my younger brother came to my house to inform our parents that he had gone bankrupt and lost everything, including the apartment he bought using the inheritance.

So our parents are now left with no home or money all because they gave him an early inheritance.

Even worse, my two brothers were fighting in the street just a few months ago over how the younger brother put his name on the other’s inheritance.

I dread to think of what will happen when the older brother finds out that the younger one has gone bankrupt and lost the inheritance.

I share this story to show a possible outcome of passing down your assets early to your children, a mistake that my parents made.

I urge all parents to consider carefully before doing something similar. The most important thing, in my opinion, is to divide inherited assets equally among children and avoid sexism.

My family is a clear example of this mistake. I am not the one who spent all of my parents’ inheritance but I will still be affected when my parents and siblings are all broke.

In my view, if parents love their children and care about themselves, they should carefully prepare a fund for their old age. This fund can be used to help their children in case of accidents and sudden illnesses, instead of funding their investment.

Conversely, even if children have been well-behaved, they should not ask or borrow their parents' old-age funds.

I see many elderly people hastily dividing all their assets among their children nearing the end of their lives, thinking that this is their way of showing their love to their children. Nonetheless, they did not consider that this would make them reliant on their children.

I have seen some elderly couple hand over all their old-age funds to their children in hopes that they would provide them with food, shelter, and personal expenses only to be called a burden on their children.

Have you ever considered what you would do if you received your inheritance early?

Reader Lien Hoa

*This opinion was translated into English by AI. Readers’ views are personal and do not necessarily match VnExpress’ viewpoints.