12 Comments

I help them mostly in practical ways. For example, my brother and I called an accountant for them to help them get a will when they realized they didn't have one and they were in their 70s.

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That makes sense.

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I'm not 'planning for my parent's retirement' because she's already retired, but I'm always helping her plan it out as the financial situation changes.

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Hmm, that's a gap in the survey. I should've accounted for helping parents during retirement.

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It's not a problem, that's what the comments are for!

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Although I don’t help them financially, I try to give them financial advice that I’ve learned now working in finance myself - interested to see the poll results!

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Financial advice is crucial. My parents struggled with financial literacy. I did too, really.

I'm interested in the results as well. There are many different ways to support. This is a conversation I've been having a lot lately, so I'm curious to see how people respond.

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I was genuinely baffled at the premise. Not saying it doesn't happen, your poll confirms this. My life experience has shown that first generation immigrants are successful financially. Having lived in south Florida the last 25 years I have met and done business with many people. Europeans, Central Americans and South Americans. I have noticed that immigrants are the hardest working and most focused types of individuals. They see America for what it is. The land of opportunity. As one man from Brazil told me, the problem with native born Americans is that we lose sight of the opportunity and focus on everything else that is not perfect....and spend our time and energy complaining about it.

Another from Ireland, told me he could not understand why Americans choose to work for someone else when we are free to start and run our own business.

Those who are now in need of help from their children show what excellent parents they are. They worked hard and sacrificed so their children would have a better life. Most likely as you collect individual stories, you will notice the parents that need help are also some of the most loving and caring people on the planet. Adult children who now help them are proof of it.

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I appreciate you taking the time to leave a detailed comment, Leo.

I noticed you wrote the following: "I have noticed that immigrants are the hardest working and most focused types of individuals." I completely agree. I'm not sure what in this post made you think otherwise.

I also noticed the following later in your comment: "Most likely as you collect individual stories, you will notice the parents that need help are also some of the most loving and caring people on the planet." Again, I completely agree. My mother, an immigrant from Argentina, is one such person. She will likely need financial help in her retirement. I don't think any less of her because of that. On the contrary, I worship her. She sacrificed everything, started her own business and provided for a family under the most challenging of circumstances. I would gladly help her 1,000 times over.

I'm genuinely saddened to learn that a post whose intent is to gain a better understanding of the multi-generational immigrant experience could somehow be misinterpreted as a judgment on immigrants.

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Don't be saddened. My response was coming from a position of praise. You should feel encouraged. This is an uplifting topic. You're profiling people who respect and love their parents. Regardless, of which door we take to enter the room, we're all together. Keep up the positive writings. Looking forward to it.

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While my mother is stable financially I do worry about her health. If a medical condition or a medical emergency effects her life who will take of her. And hopefully that condition/bill doesn’t wipe out all that she was able to save.

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Yes, I feel this, Mike. Not sure if you're in the U.S., but health issues can be financially calamitous in addition to affecting one's physical well-being. I worry about this too.

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