Greatest Generation: Millions in the basement?

A financial advisor friend once told me he thinks the Greatest Generation — the 5 million of them still with us — might have more money stashed in places in their homes or in bank accounts than anyone can imagine.

Boomer children, he said, will discover the stashes upon a parent’s death. This really happened recently to sportswriter Selena Roberts, who wrote for both The New York Times and Sports Illustrated, according to an article on Deadspin .

Her mother died. While going through her things, she found a portfolio of stocks, bonds and real estate worth an amount Roberts would only reveal as “seven figures.”

Roberts is now working on building a website and making short films about sports.

Roberts discovered other stuff about her mother who had worked as a teacher and health care policy analyst.

“I was surprised she had done as well as she did…It’s a pretty cool thing that she was very generous with a lot of people that I didn’t know throughout her life. That was one of the things that I found going through that book. She gave to a lot of causes anonymously. I’m really proud of the person she was. I wish I knew a little bit more about it when it was going on.”