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<p>There are two many unknowns to characterize the kids’ behavior this way. I agree with the article. If each child was told “This is an account in your name, and the money is yours to do with as you please,” then requesting a transfer of funds seems quite inappropriate. Sort of a “make your bed and lie in it” situation. But if this money was set aside specifically for the kids’ educations, and just happened to be divided up into two of this type of account (because it was convenient, not because each child was absolutely entitled to half of the funds), and each child was told “We’ve saved for your education, and we have the ability to pay for whatever school(s) you choose,” then a transfer of funds seems fair. </p>
<p>The kids could have had identical reasons for choosing the different paths that they did. Frugality may not have been any concern of the older child’s. We don’t know those reasons, we don’t know what kind of parental support they had in their decisions, we don’t know exactly what intentions the parents had for these accounts, we don’t know what the kids have been told about available funds. I hope that the parents had the foresight to realize that something like this might happen, and to explain the $$$ and the accounts in appropriate terms. I also hope they have a plan in case their older child unexpectedly decides to attend grad school in the relatively near future.</p>