Everyone dreams of getting an inheritance. But contrary to most people's belief, the U.S. isn't necessarily your best bet when it comes to getting a big bequest from a parent or grandparent.
In the following video, Dan Caplinger, The Motley Fool's director of investment planning, looks at a recent survey that looked at which countries have the highest average inheritances from their retirees. Dan notes that Australia tops the list, with average inheritances of over $500,000. Singapore comes in at No. 2, with the U.K., France, and Taiwan rounding out the top five before the U.S. shows up in the No. 6 spot at $177,000. Dan makes some observations about Australia's success, noting that companies such as BHP Billiton (BHP +0.58%) and Rio Tinto (RIO +0.69%) have done a good job of exploiting the nation's natural resources while property values have also held up well, benefiting the entire iShares MSCI Australia (EWA +1.13%). In the end, the value of property has a big impact on inheritance levels around the world.
