My parents never transferred their wealth to me when I was young, and I will take the same approach with my own children. I have never felt resentment toward them, only gratitude that they supported me until I became self-reliant.
For that reason, I will not give them an early inheritance. Instead, I will give my children every opportunity to grow and learn. My parents valued education above all else and spent generously so I could study abroad. After graduating, I returned home and began my career from the ground up. Through persistence and discipline, I eventually saved enough to buy my first home before marriage, all without any financial help from my parents.
Even after becoming a parent, I stayed financially independent. My parents neither assisted with childcare nor offered financial aid, and I never expected them to. Likewise, my husband did not receive any financial support from his parents.
After 15 years of marriage, we have built assets exceeding VND25 billion, entirely through our own work and investments. That independence has been the cornerstone of our stability and peace of mind. It was my parents’ investment in my education that made this possible thanks to that early foundation. Though my parents are wealthy, I have never felt entitled to their fortune. What we have achieved is enough, and I have no desire for what is not mine.
Thanks to our education, earning a good living has never been a struggle. My husband and I hold ordinary jobs, but careful financial planning and smart investing have allowed our savings to grow steadily. It may not be extraordinary wealth, but it gives us a comfortable, fulfilling life.
That is why I believe the real question is not when to pass down your wealth, but how early to start investing in your child’s growth. If you have money but choose not to use it for their education and save it only to bequeath later, your child may never reach their full potential.
An investment of VND1 billion in education today could empower your child to earn VND10–20 billion in the future. But if you wait until adulthood or marriage to give them that same amount, it may disappear without value.
Like my parents, I plan to send my children to the best schools and help them find the right fields of study. I may even give them VND3-5 billion to practice investing under our supervision while they are still in school so they can learn how the market works.
Even if they lose that money, it will be part of their education and a lesson more valuable than any inheritance. To me, that is giving them a foundation to stand on, not wealth.
Of course, when I pass away, my assets will still go to my children. But by then, they will likely be in their 50s or 60s, and the money will matter far less to them.
*This opinion was translated into English with the assistance of AI. Readers’ views are personal and do not necessarily match VnExpress’ viewpoints.