--- title: "Beyond the Markets: A Place at the Table for Conversations About Wealth" description: Thematic investing focuses on long-term, macro-level trends (called megatrends) rather than traditional sectors or individual companies. image: https://planningalt.com/hubfs/PA-Blog_BeyondMarketNov.jpg --- [Skip to the main content.](https://planningalt.com/insights/beyond-the-markets-a-place-at-the-table-for-conversations-about-wealth#main-content) [![Logo](https://planningalt.com/hubfs/Logo.svg "Logo")](https://planningalt.com) [![Logo](https://planningalt.com/hubfs/Logo.svg "Logo")](https://planningalt.com) - [Approach](https://planningalt.com/approach) - [Services](https://planningalt.com/services) - [About](https://planningalt.com/about) - [Insights](https://planningalt.com/insights-blog) - [Events](https://planningalt.com/events) - [Contact](https://planningalt.com/contact) - [Login](https://planningalt.com/client-login) [WEALTH PERSONALITY QUIZ](https://planningalt.com/quiz-assessment-landing-page) Toggle Menu Toggle Menu [WEALTH PERSONALITY QUIZ](https://planningalt.com/quiz-assessment-landing-page) - [Approach](https://planningalt.com/approach) - [Services](https://planningalt.com/services) - [About](https://planningalt.com/about) - [Insights](https://planningalt.com/insights-blog) - [Events](https://planningalt.com/events) - [Contact](https://planningalt.com/contact) - [Login](https://planningalt.com/client-login) [Linkedin](https://www.linkedin.com/company/planning-alternatives/) #### True Wealth Assessment ![PA-Blog\_MoneyPersonality-min](https://planningalt.com/hs-fs/hubfs/PA-Blog_MoneyPersonality-min.jpg?width=400&height=224&name=PA-Blog_MoneyPersonality-min.jpg) Everyone has their own unique relationship with money. 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[Start now](https://planningalt.com/true-wealth-assessment?hsLang=en) *Takes 7-8 minutes.* 3 min read # Beyond the Markets: A Place at the Table for Conversations About Wealth [Planning Alternatives](https://planningalt.com/insights/author/planning-alternatives) October 26, 2026 [Investing Resources](https://planningalt.com/insights/tag/investing-resources) ![Beyond the Markets: A Place at the Table for Conversations About Wealth](https://planningalt.com/hubfs/PA-Blog_BeyondMarketNov.jpg) For many families, the holidays are one of the few times each year when everyone sits at the same table: the generation that built the family’s wealth and the generations that will one day inherit it. Stories get retold and traditions get passed down. Yet one of the most important topics rarely comes up: how the family’s wealth will pass from one generation to the next, and why. With so much wealth now at stake, that conversation has never mattered more. The chart below tracks U.S. household net worth by generation since 1989. Over that span, total net worth has grown from roughly $20 trillion to more than $160 trillion, and the Baby Boomer and Silent generations now hold about $102 trillion of it, nearly two-thirds of the total. For those who built it, that wealth represents decades of hard work, discipline, and thoughtful decision-making, along with the patience to let [compounding](https://planningalt.com/insights/built-over-time-what-parenting-can-teach-us-about-compounding) do its work through every kind of market, including downturns along the way. . ![generational wealth](https://planningalt.com/hs-fs/hubfs/generational%20wealth.png?width=840&height=684&name=generational%20wealth.png)   That wealth is already changing hands. More than $100 trillion is expected to pass down to heirs by 2048, one of the largest generational movements of capital in modern history. But as we explored in [The Great Wealth Transfer: Preserving Clarity, Values, and Relationships Across Generations](https://planningalt.com/insights/great-wealth-transfer), the real story isn’t that enormous number. What matters is what happens between family members as wealth begins to move, in conference rooms with advisors or around kitchen tables. What is being passed down is also rarely a single account. The next chart breaks each generation’s net worth into its parts. Baby Boomers hold $41.2 trillion across investment and retirement accounts, alongside $19.5 trillion in real estate and $7.7 trillion in private businesses. Investment portfolios, real estate holdings, and closely held businesses all require context and understanding long before ownership changes hands. And a family home or business often carries meaning that extends far beyond its financial value.   ![assets liabilities](https://planningalt.com/hs-fs/hubfs/assets%20liabilities.png?width=863&height=699&name=assets%20liabilities.png) . The chart also shows how different the next generations’ financial lives look. Millennials carry $7.8 trillion in liabilities against $16.5 trillion in net worth, more debt than any other generation, as many are buying first homes and paying down student loans. Many in Gen X are balancing careers, children, and aging parents at the same time. Each generation brings its own relationship with money to the table. What feels prudent to one may feel restrictive to another, and what one person sees as a legacy to preserve, another may experience as a responsibility they aren’t prepared to carry. A vacation home becomes expensive to maintain. An art collection becomes difficult to divide. We believe wealth transitions rarely go wrong because of markets or mathematics. They go wrong when siblings can’t agree on what “fair” was supposed to mean or an executor steps into a role that was never explained. Usually, the cause is what was left unsaid. Parents assume their children understand the plan; children assume their parents have a complete one. Too often, neither side has the full picture. Closing that gap requires dialogue, and that dialogue needs to happen long before circumstances make it necessary. Getting started is often the hardest part. These conversations tend to break down in familiar ways: unspoken expectations, undiscussed emotional attachments, complex holdings passed on without preparation, and gaps in financial knowledge that no one addressed. Parents are often surprised that their children don’t view certain possessions with the same reverence, while heirs are surprised by how heavy responsibility feels when the reasoning behind it is missing. Most of these [wealth-transfer issues](https://planningalt.com/insights/great-wealth-transfer) can be eased, or even prevented, through proactive conversations and ongoing education.  Since 1983, Planning Alternatives has helped families navigate the challenges of passing wealth from one generation to the next. Our role is to create a setting where difficult topics can be addressed with clarity and care, often beginning with parents and then widening the conversation to include those who will eventually carry the plan forward. From there, we turn those conversations into action, helping families prepare the next generation for the responsibilities ahead and coordinating with CPAs, estate attorneys, and other key advisors. We believe the strongest wealth transfers don’t just pass down assets. They pass down understanding. As you gather around the table this holiday season, there’s no need to turn dessert into an estate planning meeting. But it may be the right moment to plant a seed. Tell the story of how the family’s wealth was built. Let the next generation know a conversation is coming. Ask them what matters most. The traditions that last are the ones passed down out loud. Family wealth is no different. *The material provided is for informational purposes only and is not meant to be construed as investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell securities. Planning Alternatives is an investment advisory firm registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). SEC registration does not imply a certain level of skill and/or expertise.* --- For more insights, check out our [Investing Resources page](https://planningalt.com/insights/tag/investing-resources). The material provided is for informational purposes only and is not meant to be construed as investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell securities. Planning Alternatives is an investment advisory firm registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). SEC registration does not imply a certain level of skill and/or expertise. At Planning Alternatives, we help you manage your wealth in alignment with your values, goals, and the legacy you want to leave. As fiduciary advisors, we always — and only — make decisions in your best interest. If you’re interested in exploring how thematic investing might fit into your personal path to True Wealth, [let’s connect](https://planningalt.com/contact). - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) ### A wealth of insight [![Beyond the Markets: What the Changing Seasons Teach Us About Portfolios](https://planningalt.com/hubfs/PA-Blog_BeyondMarketFall.jpg)](https://planningalt.com/insights/beyond-the-markets-what-the-changing-seasons-teach-us-about-portfolios) #### [Beyond the Markets: What the Changing Seasons Teach Us About Portfolios](https://planningalt.com/insights/beyond-the-markets-what-the-changing-seasons-teach-us-about-portfolios) [Investing Resources](https://planningalt.com/insights/tag/investing-resources) [![The Concentrated Stock Conversation Too Many People Delay](https://planningalt.com/hubfs/PA-Blog_EggsBasket.jpg)](https://planningalt.com/insights/the-concentrated-stock-conversation-too-many-people-delay) #### [The Concentrated Stock Conversation Too Many People Delay](https://planningalt.com/insights/the-concentrated-stock-conversation-too-many-people-delay) [Investing Resources](https://planningalt.com/insights/tag/investing-resources) [![Trump Accounts: Answers to Your Frequently Asked Questions](https://planningalt.com/hubfs/PA-Blog_TrumpAccounts.jpg)](https://planningalt.com/insights/trump-accounts-answers-to-your-frequently-asked-questions) #### [Trump Accounts: Answers to Your Frequently Asked Questions](https://planningalt.com/insights/trump-accounts-answers-to-your-frequently-asked-questions) [Investing Resources](https://planningalt.com/insights/tag/investing-resources) Company - [Approach](https://planningalt.com/approach) - [Services](https://planningalt.com/services) - [About](https://planningalt.com/about) - [Team](https://planningalt.com/our-team) - [Locations](https://planningalt.com/locations) - [Contact](https://planningalt.com/contact) - [Careers](https://planningalt.com/careers) Insights - [Assessments](https://planningalt.com/quiz-assessment-landing-page) - [Podcasts](https://planningalt.com/insights/tag/podcasts) - [Events](https://planningalt.com/events) - [Insights](https://planningalt.com/insights-blog) - [Client Login](https://planningalt.com/client-login) - [Form CRS](https://planningalt.com/hubfs/2025-Client-Relationship-Summary.pdf) - [ADV Part 2A Brochure](https://planningalt.com/hubfs/23129617/2026%20Form%20ADV%20Part%202A%20Rev.%208-7-26.pdf) - Wealth Advisors for Life™ - | - [Terms & Conditions](https://planningalt.com/terms-conditions) - | - [Privacy Policy](https://planningalt.com/privacy-policy) © 2026 Planning Alternatives [Linkedin](https://www.linkedin.com/company/planning-alternatives/) Return to top ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Planning Alternatives", "url" : "https://planningalt.com/insights/author/planning-alternatives" }, "dateModified" : "2026-10-26T18:13:21.312Z", "datePublished" : "2026-10-26T18:13:21.000Z", "headline" : "Beyond the Markets: A Place at the Table for Conversations About Wealth", "image" : [ "https://planningalt.com/hubfs/PA-Blog_BeyondMarketNov.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://planningalt.com/insights/beyond-the-markets-a-place-at-the-table-for-conversations-about-wealth", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://planningalt.com/hubfs/Logo-dark-1-1.png" }, "name" : "Planning Alternatives" } } ```