Splitting Heirs: Giving Money & Things to Your Children Without Ruining Their Lives

by Ron Blue, Jeremy White

Finish well. That is what we are called to do in Scripture, but where will our money and possessions finish? The Bible has the principles that provide answers to the challenge of parenting and passing along an in heritage. Within the next decade, over ONE TRILLION DOLLARS will change hands from one generation to the next. Individuals with adult children will need to transfer that wealth without ruining their heirs' lives.Ron Blue, an authority on personal and business finance, will help:~Identify exactly how much money would be transferred were the reader to die today~Identify the need for creating a will~Identify tax-wise financial planning~Teach the way to leave money without creating an unhealthy dependence

Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction, Christian, Finance, Economics

224 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2004

About the author

Ron Blue. Following his graduation from Indiana University in 1967 with a master’s in business administration, Ron joined the management group of Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Co. and worked with the firm in New York City, Dallas, and San Francisco.
In 1970, Ron founded an Indianapolis-based CPA firm that has grown to be one of the 50 largest CPA firms in the United States. Leaving the CPA firm in 1977, Ron became administrative vice president of Leadership Dynamics International. While with Leadership Dynamics, he was involved in developing and teaching biblically-based leadership and management seminars in the United States and Africa.
Since 1979, Ron has held a passion to help Christians plan and manage their finances in order to maximize their giving to Kingdom purposes. God has allowed him to work this out in several ways. Dr. Howard Hendricks influenced him to begin what later became a financial planning firm. He has written several books on this topic, and in 2003 he helped to found a ministry training Christian financial advisors to integrate God’s financial wisdom in their advice and counsel.
In 2012, Indiana Wesleyan University established The Ron Blue Institute, which is dedicated to multiplying the over 40 years of professional experience and intellectual property of Ron through curriculum development and other products in multiple outlets worldwide.
Ron and Judy, his wife of 50 years, live in Atlanta, Georgia. They have five children and thirteen grandchildren.

Reviews

[Randy Alcorn]

Inheritance is risky business, often damaging lives, marriages and children. Few of us bring an eternal perspective to leaving money behind or to handling unearned wealth. But God has entrusted us with His assets and we need to consider how best to invest them in eternity. Ron Blue sets our sights high, offering biblical and practical insights on a vital subject. Ron has written some fine books, but none more important or timely than this one.

[Nathan Lackey · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite Ron Blue book I’ve read (there’s a lot). Whether you are young or old, I believe Christians should think differently than the world when it comes to inheritance. There’s a balance allowing inheritance to be blessing children vs spoiling them as well as giving to Kingdom purposes in your will. Also more joy in giving TODAY rather than at your death. Pass this book on to anyone with kids (or older parents even). Would be 5 stars if it wasn’t on such a specific topic.

[Shannon Pool · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book. It’s a wealth of information, but it’s an easy read. If you have children, do yourself a favor and read this book. Do them a favor and read this book. We are a society that has been groomed to think smart people are the ones that can sit in a seat for 8 hours at school and make A’s and B’s. We are making kids that are not school smart feel dumb. All kids have some type of smarts. Help your kiddos identify theirs.

[Blake · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ron Blue’s book, Splitting Heirs speaks to the many problems that come about when parents don’t plan wisely concerning the inheritance that they leave behind for their children. He challenges the reader to give some planning and thought into making sure that the inheritance is wisely set up and that it doesn’t take an inheritor down a road to destruction. It is a practical book that offers biblical wisdom as well as insight from the world of finances. This can be a useful book in counseling the elderly as they begin to consider what they will leave behind to their family.

[Jonathan Crabb · Rating 5 out of 5]

In late 2018, my parents are just turning 70. While no one wants to talk about death and planning, there is an insane lack of simple, clear direction on the topic of how to do inheritance in a thoughtful, faith honoring way. This book goes a long way to solve that very issue. It’s a quick read and has many practical, easy to implement planning tools. This is one that I would give away to everyone in the US over the age of 65. Essential stuff.

[Jason Carter · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book as a gift from a friend who serves in a leadership position for a Christian charitable foundation, to help me think through estate planning.

There is a lot of helpful information in here, but it places an inordinate (and not well defended) position of favoring charities over one's own family with respect to estate planning.

Nevertheless, it's worth a read, even if you don't think this is something you need to be thinking through at this time.

[Kathryn Bardolph · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Very Well Written,Important Book For All People

Everybody dies. Most people do not prepare well for the distribution of their assets. Lack of adequate preparation leads to decisions being made by others,including the government. This book does a very thorough job of covering many important issues in a very well thought out and well written way.

[Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

A worthwhile book of wisdom and insights regarding inheritance planning. While many timeless truths were shared on giving, planning, distributing assets, etc, the book’s quantitative examples were outdated, as tax laws and financial guidelines (maximum IRA contributions, estate taxes, etc) since the book was written in 2004. I wish an updated version was available.

[Alyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for any Christian parent that wants to support their child's individual learning style and personality. Helps you to think outside the box when it comes to how kids (and all people) are different and therefore may learn differently.

[Dweaver · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very thought provoking and spiritually based. Step by step process for deciding how to handle your estate and evaluating how inheritance will change the lives of your children.

[Bethany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great resource for your child's learning tendencies.

[Jerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really helpful and wise with a few quibbles here and there.

[Sherri Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Man where was this book when I was raising kids. I would have loved to have it to refer too. Enjoyable! Eye opening! Informative!

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and it brought a new perspective to how my kids think and operate ❤️😊. I really enjoyed reading this.

[Elisabeth Ensor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is phenomenal

[Sharon Schulte · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good information for helping especially parent embrace their kids for who they are and foster their different "Smarts." These ideas helps me to love others better.

[Hannah Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy read— in a good way. Definitely got me thinking about things differently and will encourage others to read it.

[Maddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good information that is beneficial for knowing how to encourage, teach, and build relationships with students. I enjoyed this book very much and appreciate the information and examples presented.

[Allen Dresser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sound Advice with Bible Based Guidance for Estate Planning

This book is the best we have found for guiding us in our planning. It is solid and based on a bible-based wisdom.
This book is not just theological - it has a very logical and well thought out methodology to plan and implement in a systematic way. If you only read ONE book on this subject, this is it.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for everyone. Common sense mixed with some wake-up-and-smell-the-coffee -- you're going to die and what you do or don't do about your God given resources is of utmost and lasting importance. It really got me thinking about what we need to do about preparing our will and considering our estate. Be prepared for him to suggest that the way we do estate planning in America is very haphazard and potentially destructive for us heirs. We may need to --GASP-- not just split our money among the kids, but give to our passions, give a lot of our estate while we're still living, and possible disinherit those family members who are not showing financial responsibility. Radical stuff if you ask me!

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Glad I read it, but this is not my type of book. :) Jeff loved it though. Helpful to think practically about how to best plan for $$$ now in order to use it wisely until and after we die. And the importance of discussing this with heirs and professionals.

[David Ellis]

Christian Financial Planning guide based on Biblical Wisdom and Stewardship Principles. Basis of my Finacial/Estate Planning Practice through World Capital Consulting.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chps 5 and 7 useful

[Douglas Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Didn't agree with the particular emphasis he placed on giving to charity over against family, but the principles were good and the book contained a lot of valuable info.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. God owns it all and we are just stewards.