Generational Friction

As Baby Boomers begin shaping the financial legacy they intend to pass on, many discover an unexpected challenge: their Gen X children often hold very different views about money, planning, and the purpose of wealth. Both generations want stability, opportunity, and a thoughtful transition of assets. Yet the path toward that shared goal is frequently marked by tension, hesitation, and misunderstanding. Welcome to generational financial friction.

For Baby Boomers, money has long symbolized security. They built their financial lives in an environment where prudence mattered, savings were earned through discipline, and talking openly about wealth was seen as unnecessary, even unwise. Their instinct is often to protect: protect their assets, protect their children from missteps, protect the legacy they’ve worked decades to build.

Gen X, however, came of age in a different economic reality. They’ve lived through rapid technological change, rising living costs, and shifting employment patterns. They prefer earlier communication, shared visibility, and practical planning. For them, clarity is not entitlement. It’s coordination. They’re not asking for control. They’re asking for context, and enough information to make good long-term decisions for themselves.

These different perspectives naturally collide. Boomers may interpret Gen X’s desire for transparency as overstepping. Gen X may interpret Boomer privacy as secrecy or mistrust. And without intentional conversations, assumptions quietly deepen the divide.

This is where emotional intelligence becomes pivotal. Healthy financial transitions require more than spreadsheets and estate documents. They require humility from Boomers to articulate values rather than only instructions, and openness from Gen X to show curiosity rather than impatience. Both generations must be willing to listen for meaning, not just information.

Financial legacy is most successful when it is approached as a shared narrative, not a one-time event. The families who navigate this transition most smoothly are not the ones who eliminate friction, but the ones who interpret it correctly. Friction is often simply a signal that more communication, empathy, and cgridlarity are needed.

When Boomers and Gen X commit to understanding each other’s financial worldview, the friction becomes productive. It turns from a point of tension into a path toward alignment, continuity, and a more intentional legacy across generations.

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Brad Harsch is the Founder and Portfolio Manager of StratiCo LLC  and Strategic Advocates, LLC, an SEC-registered investment advisor. Brad is the author of “Fortune Favors: Seven Distinctions for the Discerning Investor”. He builds disciplined investment strategy, and he writes about the science and behaviors that foster lasting investment success.

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The insights shared here reflect the author’s opinions as of the date of publication and are intended for educational and informational purposes only. They do not constitute investment advice or a recommendation. Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal.