The "Dave Ramsey Show" had a really unusual financial problem—a 29 year old paying their parents' $3,000 monthly mortgage. While helping aging parents is a great thing to do, it raises big financial questions. Is this level of help sustainable? Is it enabling financial dependence?
More importantly, how does it impact their own financial future? These questions get to the heart of a growing problem for many adults caught between helping their parents and securing their own financial stability.
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The Real Cost of Helping Parents
You're not alone if you're helping out your parents financially. According to NerdWallet, 36% of adults think their parents will need financial assistance as they age. But here's the catch—this kind of help can come with serious personal costs.
Parents who continue to help their adult children financially often do so at the expense of their own retirement savings, as stated by Regions. It's a tough balancing act and if done without a plan it can be trouble down the road.
Now, let's talk numbers. That $3,000 mortgage payment? It's way above the national average. According to The Mortgage Bankers Association, the national medium monthly mortgage payment in the US in January was $2,205.
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If this person is paying significantly more, it means their parents either took on a huge loan or have high interest rates. That alone is worth looking into. This is a classic sandwich generation problem. People in their late 20s to 50s often find themselves financially supporting both their children and their aging parents. It's stressful.
As noted by Caregiver Action Network, many of these individuals help with everything from medical expenses to daily living costs. And let's be real, balancing your own financial future while keeping loved ones afloat isn't easy.
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Some financial experts warn against sacrificing your own stability. As per a Pew Research Center report, nearly 60% of parents have provided financial support to their adult children in the past year. While helping family is generous, it can put your own long term security at risk if not managed wisely.
On the other hand, some say helping parents financially can be a good move in some cases. According to Inc.com, Harvard researcher Arthur Brooks says if families can afford to help, they should invest rather than just pay day to day costs. The idea is to help long term not enable dependence.
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