Having enough money to help your adult children can feel like a blessing—until occasional help quietly becomes an expectation. Recent research underscores how common this is: Pew Research Center reported in 2026 that 56% of parents with adult children had provided them financial support during the previous 12 months. Meanwhile, Bankrate found in a 2024 survey that 61% of parents with adult children had made financial sacrifices to help them, including dipping into emergency or retirement savings. Establishing financial boundaries with adult children can protect your retirement while still leaving room to help when it truly matters.
