Preparing the next generation to manage inherited wealth is becoming a key concern for Asian families, according to a new Sun Life Asia study.
The insurer’s Passing the Torch: When legacy means more than money report found that 52% of respondents concerned about their wealth surviving the next generation cited beneficiary readiness as a risk. This was ahead of market volatility (49%) and family conflict over assets (44%).
The findings point to a growing role for financial advisers in helping families prepare beneficiaries, rather than focusing solely on the transfer of assets.
Nearly three-quarters (74%) of people planning to leave a legacy intend to pass on values, knowledge or life lessons alongside financial assets. Skills and education (33%), family values (32%) and life lessons (31%) were the most valued non-financial legacies.
Legacy planning is also becoming more formalised. The proportion with a fully documented and communicated plan more than doubled from 10% in 2025 to 22% in 2026, while those with no plan fell from 31% to 15%.
However, confidence has not kept pace. Some 70% now worry their wealth will not be preserved beyond the next generation, up from 60% a year earlier, while only 20% feel fully prepared to pass on their legacy.
Professional advice is increasingly part of the process. Some 46% of respondents have sought professional legacy planning advice, up from 37% in 2025. Among those who had done so, 79% felt financially prepared, compared with 44% of those who had not sought advice but would like to.
Adviser involvement in family communication has also increased. Four in 10 respondents said discussions with beneficiaries had taken place at least partly through a financial adviser, compared with 15% in 2025.
Among high-net-worth individuals, 83% said advisers should play a role in legacy planning, with 63% saying advisers should take the lead. Their key concerns included investment decisions, tax and legal complexity, and confidence in advisers or wealth-management institutions.
The survey covered 3,073 people across Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam, with fieldwork conducted in August 2026.