Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below.<\/p>\n
Most parents spend years worrying about daycare bills, school expenses and college tuition.<\/p>\n
Steve’s biggest financial concern is what happens if he dies before his daughters learn how to stand on their own.<\/p>\n
The 48-year-old single father never expected to be supporting two adult children<\/a> under the same roof. Yet every month, that’s exactly what he’s doing.<\/p>\n His oldest daughter, Emily, 26, moved out shortly after college and spent several years bouncing between marketing jobs. A series of layoffs and contract positions eventually forced her back home. She now works part-time for a local business while continuing to search for a full-time role<\/a>.<\/p>\n His younger daughter, Ava, 22, is finishing her final year at a state university. She works part-time and covers her own car insurance and gas, but Steve still pays many of the larger expenses that come with keeping a household running.<\/p>\n Don’t Miss:<\/p>\n Neither daughter is sitting around doing nothing.<\/p>\n Still, neither is financially independent.<\/p>\n And that’s where Steve’s concern begins.<\/p>\n “I don’t worry about supporting them today,” he said. “I worry about what happens if I’m not here tomorrow.”<\/p>\n When Adult Children Are Still Dependents <\/p>\n The word “dependent” often brings to mind young children.<\/p>\n In reality, many parents continue supporting adult children well into their 20s and beyond.<\/p>\n Steve covers the mortgage, utilities, groceries, health insurance costs and countless expenses that don’t neatly fit into a budget spreadsheet. What started as temporary help gradually became a long-term arrangement.<\/p>\n The financial impact adds up.<\/p>\n A Savings.com survey<\/a> last year found that 50% of parents with adult children provide regular financial support, with parents contributing an average of $1,474 per month. For parents supporting Gen Z adult children, the average rises to about $1,813 per month.<\/p>\n Steve estimates his support exceeds those figures.<\/p>\n “The economy is tough,” he said. “Rent is expensive. Entry-level jobs don’t pay what they used to. I understand why they’re struggling. But retirement isn’t getting any farther away for me.”<\/p>\n That tension is becoming increasingly common.<\/p>\n Parents want to help.<\/p>\n At the same time, many are trying to save for retirement, pay down debt and prepare for their own future.<\/p>\n Trending: Most budgeting apps ignore your investments. Empower doesn\u2019t \u2014 it syncs your 401(k), IRA, bank, and credit accounts into one real-time dashboard.<\/a><\/p>\n The Question Behind The Question <\/p>\n On the surface, Steve’s concern is life insurance.<\/p>\n Beneath that is a much bigger question.<\/p>\n How much responsibility does a parent have for adult children who still depend on them financially?<\/p>\n Financial professionals generally agree on one point: dependency matters<\/a> more than age.<\/p>\n If someone relies on a parent’s income to keep a roof over their head, pay bills or maintain stability, the financial consequences of losing that parent can be significant regardless of whether the child is 8, 18 or 28.<\/p>\n That’s one reason many advisors recommend reviewing life insurance coverage whenever others depend on your income.<\/p>\n For single parents especially, there isn’t a second household income waiting in the wings if something unexpected happens.<\/p>\n More Than Just A Life Insurance Decision <\/p>\n Financial professionals often recommend starting with a broader planning conversation before choosing a policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n Life insurance is one piece of the puzzle.<\/p>\n The bigger issue is creating a plan that protects loved ones without sacrificing a parent’s own financial future.<\/p>\n See Also: This Jeff Bezos-backed startup will allow you to become a landlord in just 10 minutes, with minimum investments as low as $100<\/a>.<\/p>\n For someone in Steve’s position, that could involve reviewing existing insurance coverage, updating beneficiaries, evaluating whether a revocable trust makes sense and determining how assets would actually be distributed if something happened unexpectedly.<\/p>\n It can also help answer practical questions.<\/p>\n Would his daughters be able to stay in the home?<\/p>\n Would they need a temporary financial cushion while becoming independent?<\/p>\n Would retirement accounts, savings and insurance proceeds work together the way he intends?<\/p>\n These are the kinds of questions financial advisors help families explore<\/a>.<\/p>\n Rather than focusing on a single product, they can help parents evaluate multiple options, stress-test different scenarios and create a plan that aligns with both family goals and long-term financial security.<\/p>\n For many families, the goal isn’t simply leaving money behind.<\/p>\n It’s making sure that support arrives in a way that helps loved ones move forward.<\/p>\n Read Next: Most credit apps just show you a number \u2014 SmartCredit tracks all three bureau scores, flags what\u2019s dragging them down, and gives you a roadmap to improve them faster.<\/a><\/p>\n Building Wealth Across More Than Just the Market <\/p>\n Building a resilient portfolio means thinking beyond a single asset or market trend. Economic cycles shift, sectors rise and fall, and no one investment performs well in every environment. That’s why many investors look to diversify with platforms that provide access to real estate, fixed-income opportunities, precious metals, and even self-directed retirement accounts. By spreading exposure across multiple asset classes, it becomes easier to manage risk, capture steady returns, and create long-term wealth that isn’t tied to the fortunes of just one company or industry.<\/p>\n Arrived<\/p>\n Backed by Jeff Bezos, Arrived Homes makes real estate investing accessible with a low barrier to entry. Investors can buy fractional shares of single-family rentals and vacation homes starting with as little as $100<\/a>. This allows everyday investors to diversify into real estate, collect rental income, and build long-term wealth without needing to manage properties directly.<\/p>\n Immersed<\/p>\n Immersed is building technology for the future of work through spatial computing<\/a>. Known for its AR\/VR productivity platform that enables users to work across multiple virtual screens, the company has grown to more than 1.5 million users worldwide. Immersed is also developing Visor, a lightweight headset designed specifically for professional productivity, positioning the company at the intersection of remote work, extended reality (XR), and next-generation computing.<\/p>\n Vinovest<\/p>\n Fine wine and rare whiskey have historically moved independently of the stock market, making them a compelling alternative asset. Vinovest manages authenticated, insured portfolios of investment-grade wine and whiskey starting at $5,000<\/a> \u2014 sourcing, storage, and insurance all handled for you.<\/p>\n EnergyX<\/p>\n EnergyX is a clean energy technology company focused on direct lithium extraction and refinery technologies for the lithium-ion battery supply chain.<\/a> Its proprietary DLE systems are designed to recover lithium from brine resources more efficiently and with less environmental impact, supporting efforts to expand lithium supply for electric vehicles, grid-scale storage, and other battery applications.<\/p>\n FarmTogether<\/p>\n Farmland has historically held its value through market volatility and delivered returns uncorrelated to stocks and bonds. For accredited investors, FarmTogether offers direct access to high-quality U.S. farmland starting at $15,000<\/a> \u2014 fully managed, with no landlord headaches.<\/p>\n EquityMultiple<\/p>\n For accredited investors looking beyond stocks and bonds, EquityMultiple provides access to vetted commercial real estate deals starting at $5,000,<\/a> with only ~5% of opportunities passing their due diligence process.<\/p>\n Fundrise<\/p>\n Private real estate and private credit can add income and stability to a stock-heavy portfolio. Fundrise offers access to diversified private real estate<\/a> and credit strategies through an easy-to-use platform, with professionally managed portfolios designed to generate passive income and long-term growth.<\/p>\n American Hartford Gold<\/p>\n American Hartford Gold is a precious metals dealer that helps clients buy physical gold and silver coins and bars, either for direct delivery or within self-directed precious metals IRAs.<\/a> The company’s services include gold and silver IRAs, IRA rollovers, and home delivery of bullion, giving investors a way to use tangible metals to diversify portfolios and seek protection against inflation and market volatility.<\/p>\n Mode Mobile<\/p>\n Mode Mobile is changing the way people interact with their phones by letting users earn money from the same apps and activities they already use every day.<\/a> Instead of platforms keeping all the advertising revenue, Mode Mobile shares a portion back with users who engage with content, play games, and scroll on their devices. Named one of Deloitte’s fastest-growing software companies in North America, the company has built a large beta user base and is scaling a model that turns everyday smartphone usage into a potential income stream.<\/p>\n Lightstone<\/p>\n Lightstone DIRECT gives accredited investors access to institutional-quality multifamily real estate opportunities backed by a vertically integrated operator with more than $12 billion in assets under management and a 40-year track record.<\/a> With more than 25,000 multifamily units nationwide \u2014 including significant exposure to low-supply Midwest markets where rent growth has remained resilient \u2014 Lightstone is positioning investors to benefit from tightening housing supply, strong occupancy trends, and long-term rental demand.<\/p>\n Image: Shutterstock<\/p>\n This article I’m a Single Dad, 48, Supporting Two Adult Daughters Who Won’t Move Out. Should I Get Life Insurance?<\/a> originally appeared on Benzinga.com<\/a><\/p>\n \u00a9 2026 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. Most…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":650356,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[32558,84,4176,218821,83684,1349,4174,4175,4655,218820,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-650355","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-personal-finance","tag-adult-children","tag-business","tag-finance","tag-financial-concern","tag-health-insurance-costs","tag-insurance","tag-personal-finance","tag-personalfinance","tag-real-estate","tag-term-life-coverage","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/650355","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=650355"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/650355\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/650356"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=650355"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=650355"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=650355"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}