Moody's Talks - Inside Economics

The (Not So) Great Wealth Transfer

Episode Summary

Wayne Best, Chief Economist at Visa and The Wall Street Journal’s Most Accurate Forecaster of 2025, joins the Inside Economics team to discuss the state of the economy with a focus on consumer spending. Despite a similar forecast for next year, Wayne is slightly more sanguine than the Inside Economics team about the durability of consumer spending. The discussion then leads to a surprising and fascinating look at Wayne’s recent research on the generational wealth transfer. Over the next 20 years, the Boomers will pass on trillions in wealth to their heirs, but it may not be the macroeconomic boon many are expecting.

Episode Notes

Wayne Best, Chief Economist at Visa and The Wall Street Journal’s Most Accurate Forecaster of 2025, joins the Inside Economics team to discuss the state of the economy with a focus on consumer spending. Despite a similar forecast for next year, Wayne is slightly more sanguine than the Inside Economics team about the durability of consumer spending. The discussion then leads to a surprising and fascinating look at Wayne’s recent research on the generational wealth transfer. Over the next 20 years, the Boomers will pass on trillions in wealth to their heirs, but it may not be the macroeconomic boon many are expecting.

Hosts: Mark Zandi – Chief Economist, Moody’s Analytics, Cris deRitis – Deputy Chief Economist, Moody’s Analytics, and Marisa DiNatale – Senior Director - Head of Global Forecasting, Moody’s Analytics

Follow Mark Zandi on 'X' and BlueSky @MarkZandi, Cris deRitis on LinkedIn, and Marisa DiNatale on LinkedIn

Guest: Wayne Best, Chief Economist at Visa

Check out Visa's study on the wealth transfer: The Great Wealth Transfer Reality Check