Ancestor worship is part of a belief that the deceased keep on living in another realm. Family members honor the dead with offerings and rituals that bring their ancestors and the family good luck.
Today, burning spirit or Joss money for ancestors is a way to show respect, fulfill duties, and guarantee good luck to the spirit in the afterlife. The family believes that the money floats up to heaven for the spirit to use in that realm.
Burning ancestor money, paper goods is just one way to show respect for the deceased. Real food offerings like rice and fruit are also common. Some cities host celebrations only for the ghosts or set empty tables and chairs.

Celebrating ancestors with large dinners, tomb cleanings, and offerings is ingrained in the Chinese culture.And the practice spread to other countries.
As time passed, burning ancestor money become popular in USA. Many people think its a way to pray for good fortune.
Some bloggers say that they become fortunate after burning ancestor money.
Its hard to judge whether there is a joke, a coincidence, a hoax or not. But its no doubt that there is a low-cost and simple test.
So, more and more people try to burn ancestor money and get the spiritual comfort.
Some of them would like to hold a rite daily or weekly,because they think its efficacious. Someone said that when our ancestors transition with debt, that energy is distributed among the living . Since we are inheriting lifetimes of debt and other karmic lessons through our lineage, its imperative that we negate the effects by offering ancestor money.
This burning ritual at your ancestral altar provides the ancestors with what they need on the "other side". Ancestor money will dissolves negative debt karma, usually caused by debt.
Burn Joss paper to ancestors, slowly dissolve poverty conscious thoughts and actions. Everything you do for your ancestors, comes back around.