Extension > Family > Financial Security for Later Life > Who Gets Grandma's Yellow Pie Plate?™ > Quiz for Children and Other Potential Recipients
Who Gets Grandma's Yellow Pie Plate?™
Quiz for Children and Other Potential Recipients
Marlene Stum, Professor and Extension Specialist, Department of Family Social Science
Reviewed February 2012
As a child or other potential recipient, how do you know if your family is prepared to pass on personal property as part of the inheritance process? Here's a quiz to help you think about the challenges you and your family may be facing, especially as you deal with aging parents or parents-in-law, or as you cope following a death.
Which of the following statements apply to you?
| My family has not discussed what belongings have meaning for us and why. |
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| My family has discussed who will get what, but no specific plans have been written. |
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| My family member (especially a parent or parent-in-law) has a will but it contains no specific instructions about personal belongings — just a general statement such as "Divide my personal possessions equally among my children." |
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| There are important keepsakes or family heirlooms but no one has written down their history or significance. |
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| My family member has a plan for passing on belongings, but I worry that his or her wishes will not be carried out. |
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| I expect disagreements about who should get what. |
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| I've found it hard to start conversations with my family about inheritance and death. |
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| I'm not sure how to make fair decisions about belongings. |
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| I need more information about different strategies for passing on belongings. |
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| My family member needs to get his or her affairs in order because of a serious illness or health condition. |
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| My family member needs to prepare for a move to a smaller home, apartment, nursing home, or assisted living facility. |
Understanding Your Results
These concerns and challenges are very common in families of all kinds. If you've checked any of the statements above, you're not alone. You can benefit from learning more about passing on personal possessions. See the related resources or take another quiz.
