Business
Don’t Let Boomerang Kids Ruin Your Retirement
[Black Enterprise]
They’re baaaack. Not evil spirits, but your children. In a recent Pew Research survey, 39% of all adults ages 18 to 34 said they live with their parents now or moved back temporarily in recent years. The return can have huge implications on retirement.
“The incremental expense of taking care of an adult child can potentially affect savings and emergency funds. In addition, expected retirement funds may be inadequate for this unforeseen situation,” says John Anderson, president of In Sight Financial Management in Berwyn, Illinois. If parents begin to struggle because they’re helping their children, that’s an eventual lose-lose for all.
Here are three ways to make the transition smoother:
1. Don’t offer a free ride. Maybe you weren’t into “tough love” when they were growing up, but now’s the time. Don’t give in to the temptation to reduce your retirement savings so that you can cover your child’s expenses. Instead, maintain your contribution levels and require your child to get a job (or any job that will pay the bills) if he or she isn’t working.
