The Bible is very specific about how to leave an inheritance, and most of us are not following it. Not because we are spiritually negligent, but because no one has ever framed estate planning as a faith discipline.
Proverbs 13:22 is the verse most faith-driven wealth builders know: A good person leaves an inheritance for their children’s children. But that verse is rarely treated as a planning text. It is quoted in sermons and then set aside. The practical question, what does it actually look like to leave an inheritance in 2026 with the tools available to us now, often goes unanswered.
This post is the answer to that question. We are going to look at what the Bible teaches about inheritance more broadly, distinguish between leaving an inheritance and building a legacy (they are not identical), and walk through four modern wealth-transfer tools that align with biblical values. I will also address what women specifically need to know about estate planning, and the one conversation to have with your family before you ever sit down with an attorney.
A note before we begin: I am a licensed real estate broker, not an estate attorney. Nothing in this post constitutes legal advice, and the legal instruments described here require proper counsel to execute correctly. My role is to frame the biblical foundation and the strategic overview. Your estate attorney handles the legal structure.
How to Leave an Inheritance: What the Bible Actually Says
Most of us know one verse on this topic. But the biblical theology of inheritance is broader and more detailed than a single proverb.
Numbers 27 tells the story of the daughters of Zelophehad, who approached Moses because their father had died without a male heir. They argued that their father’s inheritance should pass to them so that his name would not disappear from his clan. God affirmed their argument directly. This is one of the earliest recorded legal protections for a daughter’s right to inherit, and God himself validated it. The passing of wealth through family lines was not a cultural afterthought in scripture. It was a deliberate design.
Deuteronomy 21:17 establishes the principle of orderly inheritance. The Israelites did not distribute wealth randomly. They had a framework. Inheritance was a structured system, not an improvised one.
Proverbs 19:14 adds: Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the Lord. Note that the verse treats houses and wealth as normal inheritance items. Real property passing through generations was the expected pattern for a family that managed resources well.
What the Bible envisions is not a one-generation financial arrangement. It is a multigenerational one. The good person of Proverbs 13:22 does not plan for their children. They plan for their grandchildren. That is a very different planning horizon than most Americans carry, and it changes the math on every financial decision you make today.
The Difference Between Leaving an Inheritance and Building a Legacy
These two phrases are often used interchangeably. They describe different things, and the confusion costs families the clarity they cannot afford to lose.
Leaving an inheritance is about financial assets: what you have accumulated and how it transfers to the next generation. A will, a trust, a life insurance policy, a piece of real estate held in an LLC. These are the instruments of inheritance. They can be documented, titled, and transferred according to your wishes.
Building a legacy is about values: the beliefs about money, generosity, work, and faith that you pass down through modeling and instruction. Legacy is what your children believe about wealth when you are no longer in the room. It is the framework they will apply to the inheritance you leave them.
An inheritance without a legacy is fragile. Research on multigenerational wealth transfer consistently shows that the primary reason inherited wealth is dissipated within a generation or two is not bad luck. It is the absence of the values and financial literacy needed to manage it. The three-generation pattern (the first generation builds, the second holds, the third loses) is not inevitable. But it is common wherever the legacy work was not done.
This is why the generational wealth and faith framework at The Broker’s Table always begins with values before vehicles. The estate plan is important. The dinner table conversations that produce financially literate, stewardship-minded children are more important.
The Four Modern Tools for Wealth Transfer That Align With Biblical Values
Once the theological foundation is clear, the practical question becomes: which modern tools execute a biblical inheritance plan well? Here are the four that align most directly with the values of stewardship, order, and multigenerational transfer.
1. A Will
A will is the foundational document. It designates who receives your assets, who cares for your minor children, and who serves as executor of your estate. Every adult should have one. Without a will, your state’s intestacy laws determine what happens to your assets, and those laws may not reflect your intentions, your values, or your faith commitments.
A will does not avoid probate. It guides the probate process. For a simple estate, it is often enough. For a woman with real estate or minor children, it is the starting point of a more complete plan.
2. A Revocable Living Trust
A trust allows assets to transfer directly to your named beneficiaries without going through probate. This means a faster, more private transfer of wealth after you are gone. For a woman who owns real estate, a trust is particularly valuable because real property that goes through probate can be tied up for months or years, creating real hardship for your heirs during an already difficult season.
A trust also allows you to specify conditions on distributions. You can stipulate that funds are released for education, that a beneficiary must reach a certain age before receiving the full amount, or that real estate cannot be sold for a defined period. This gives you planning flexibility that a will alone cannot provide.
3. Life Insurance
Life insurance is one of the most powerful and underused wealth-transfer tools available to faith-driven women, particularly those who are still in the wealth-building phase. A properly structured life insurance policy passes a death benefit to your beneficiaries income-tax-free. For a woman who does not yet have significant investable assets, a life insurance policy can be the inheritance she leaves now while the real estate portfolio and investment accounts are still being built.
Term life insurance protects your family during the wealth-building years. Whole life or indexed universal life can serve as both a protection tool and a legacy vehicle over a longer horizon. Work with a licensed insurance professional to identify the right structure for your specific situation and stage.
4. Real Estate Held in an LLC or Trust
Real estate is historically the most effective wealth-building and wealth-transfer vehicle for families. When held correctly, a piece of real property can pass from parent to child to grandchild while maintaining valuable tax treatment. Holding real estate in an LLC provides liability protection during your lifetime. Transferring membership interests in that LLC can be part of a trust-based estate plan.
This strategy is worth discussing with both your estate attorney and your CPA, because the tax implications depend on your specific situation. For women who are still building their real estate portfolio, the faith-driven real estate investing guide is where we start.
What Women Specifically Should Know About Estate Planning
Women face specific vulnerabilities in wealth transfer that are worth naming directly.
Beneficiary designations override your will. The beneficiary listed on your 401(k), IRA, life insurance policy, and bank accounts will receive those assets regardless of what your will says. An outdated beneficiary designation can send assets to an ex-spouse, a deceased parent, or into your estate, each of which creates serious problems. Review your beneficiary designations annually, and whenever your life circumstances change.
Titling of assets matters as much as the documents. Assets held in joint tenancy with right of survivorship transfer automatically to the surviving owner. Assets held as tenants in common go through probate. Know how your property is titled and whether that titling matches your intentions.
Survivor rights vary by state. In most states, a surviving spouse has legal rights to a portion of the deceased spouse’s estate even if the will says otherwise. Understanding your state’s laws matters, particularly in second marriages or in situations where the estate plan has not been updated in many years.
The One Conversation to Have With Your Family Before You See an Estate Attorney
Estate planning documents are only as good as the relational clarity behind them. Before you sit down with an attorney, have a direct conversation with the people who will be affected by your plan.
Tell your heirs what you intend to leave and why. Tell them what values you hope they will carry forward with it. Tell the person you are naming as executor that you are naming them, and ask if they are willing to serve. If you are naming a guardian for minor children, have that conversation too.
This conversation does not have to be long or formal. But it transforms an estate plan from a legal document into a living family commitment. And it is where the legacy work, the values transfer that outlasts the asset transfer, actually happens.
If you are not sure how to start that conversation, the family wealth conversation framework and the guide to raising financially literate children are both practical starting points. These conversations are the foundation that makes the legal documents mean something.
The Legacy Membership at The Broker’s Table walks through this framework in monthly coaching calls, including the conversations most families never have. Join us if you want to do this work in community with other faith-driven women who are thinking seriously about what they leave behind.
Frequently Asked Questions
How early should I create an estate plan?
As soon as you have any asset worth protecting, a dependent who relies on you, or strong preferences about what happens to your belongings. For most adults, the right time is now. A basic will and beneficiary designation review can be completed in a few hours using a reputable online service. A full trust-based plan requires an estate attorney and typically takes two to four weeks.
Do I need an estate attorney or can I use an online service?
Online will services are legitimate for simple estates with no real property, no minor children, and no complex family structures. If you own real estate, have a business, have minor children, or have a blended family, work with a licensed estate attorney. The cost is modest relative to the clarity and protection it provides.
What is the first step if I currently have nothing in place?
Update your beneficiary designations immediately. This takes about 30 minutes and does not require an attorney. Then create a basic will. Then, when your finances allow, add a living trust as your real estate and investment assets grow. Each step builds on the previous one.
Can I include faith-based conditions in my estate plan?
Yes. A trust document can include conditions on distributions. Many faith-driven families include provisions that tie distributions to education, community service, or other values-aligned requirements. This requires clear drafting and a good estate attorney, but it is entirely possible and worth discussing.
Esther Jackson-Stowell is a licensed real estate broker and the founder of The Broker’s Table. This post is for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute legal, tax, or financial advice. Please consult a licensed estate attorney for guidance specific to your situation and jurisdiction.