Altruistic Bequests: Giving Motive and Receipt Expectation Using the 2019 Survey of Consumer Finances

Abstract

This study uses Altruistic Bequest Theory to update research by Kao et al. (1997) exploring the factors driving the giving and receiving of bequests using data collected from the 2019 Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF). Altruistic variables demonstrated significant, although at times weak, relationships across the three categories of the analysis (bequest versus no bequest, bequest versus maybe bequest, maybe bequest versus no bequest). Alternatively, results show economic, attitudinal, and sociodemographic variables as the main drivers for the giving and receiving of bequests.