Sudden wealth, inheritance & change
When your financial possibilities change suddenly. On unexpected wealth, inheritance and personal transitions.
Sudden wealth syndrome: what does the term mean?
People who suddenly come into a lot of money can feel overwhelmed. Since the late 1990s, the phrase “sudden wealth syndrome” has been doing the rounds to describe this. It sounds like a recognised mental illness. Its history and the scientific evidence, however, tell a different story.
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Suddenly rich: why a windfall can be overwhelming
A large sum of money can make life easier. But it can also, at a stroke, raise questions that never needed asking before. What happens between the first rush of joy and the new everyday reality?
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A large inheritance and the feeling you have not earned it
If you inherit a fortune, you did not have to build it yourself. Some people find exactly that hard to square with their sense of who they are. What does “earning” mean when money becomes part of a family's history?
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When money and grief arrive together
An inheritance can open up financial possibilities while the person who left it is no longer there. Between memories, decisions and family expectations, a situation arises that a bank balance does very little to explain.
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Earned or inherited: does the source of wealth matter?
Two people have the same amount of money. One built it over decades; the other inherited it. Does that mean they experience their wealth differently? Research offers a striking finding, alongside some good reasons not to generalise too quickly.
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