75% of Americans Say They Would Financially Help a Loved One Even if It Delayed Retirement by Up to Five Years, New IRALOGIX Research Finds

National Study Finds Americans Aren't Choosing Between Retirement and Family.

They're Working to Protect Both.

• Nearly nine in ten Americans (88%) believe people feel at least some pressure to help family financially, even when they cannot comfortably afford it.
• More than three-quarters (77%) said they help because they genuinely want to, while only 13% said they do so primarily out of obligation.
• Adults aged 45 to 60 consistently expressed the strongest sense of financial responsibility toward family members, suggesting midlife may be when competing financial priorities are felt most acutely.

PITTSBURGH--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Americans are trying to save for retirement while financially supporting the people they love, and new proprietary research from IRALOGIX, the retirement industry's leading fintech provider, suggests that balancing act may be reshaping the retirement conversation.

The Family Factor, a national study of 1,108 U.S. adults, found that many Americans are pursuing two financial goals at once: preparing for retirement while supporting the people they love. They aren't choosing between retirement and family – they're working to protect both.

Three out of four Americans (75%) said they would financially help a loved one even if doing so delayed their own retirement by as much as five years. More than 81% said they would feel personally responsible for helping a close family member facing serious financial hardship, while 88% believe people feel at least some pressure to provide financial support to family members, even when they cannot comfortably afford it.

Rather than forcing a choice between retirement and family, the findings suggest many Americans are working to protect both.

“People don't experience their financial lives in separate categories,” said Peter J. de Silva, CEO of IRALOGIX. “Retirement planning doesn't happen in one bucket while family responsibilities happen in another. For many Americans, those priorities unfold simultaneously. Understanding that reality may help us better understand retirement itself.”

When Priorities Converge

While competing family financial responsibilities were evident across all generations, one age group consistently stood apart.

Adults between the ages of 45 and 60 expressed the strongest sense of responsibility toward family members and the greatest willingness to make meaningful financial sacrifices when loved ones needed help.

The research does not explain why, but these years often coincide with peak earnings, peak retirement contributions, and growing family responsibilities. Many are helping adult children, supporting aging parents, managing caregiving responsibilities, and responding to unexpected financial needs.

Collectively, these financial demands may create a financial collision point, where long-term retirement goals intersect with immediate family responsibilities.

The research does not conclude that these competing responsibilities reduce retirement readiness or long-term savings outcomes. Instead, it raises an important question for the retirement industry: If retirement savings increasingly compete with other financial priorities people view as essential, should retirement planning evolve to better reflect that reality?

More Than a Financial Decision

The research also indicates these decisions are often as emotional as they are financial.

Sixty percent of respondents said family financial responsibilities typically create stress and tension within families.

At the same time, only 9% said families usually discuss financial expectations before problems arise, while 37% said those conversations typically do not occur until after a serious financial problem has already developed.

The findings suggest many families make some of their most significant financial decisions under pressure rather than through long-term planning.

More than three-quarters of respondents (77%) said they help family because they genuinely want to. Only 13% said they do so primarily out of obligation.

A Broader Conversation About Retirement

The Family Factor isn't a call to rethink the purpose of retirement planning. It's an invitation to broaden the conversation around it.

Helping people save for retirement remains essential. The findings suggest there is also value in understanding the competing financial priorities that shape those savings throughout people's working lives.

Many Americans are investing in two futures simultaneously: their own retirement security and the financial well-being of the people they love.

“The Family Factor isn't really a story about family finances,” said de Silva. “It's a story about how people make financial decisions when more than one important future depends on them.”

The research doesn't suggest Americans need to choose differently. It suggests the retirement industry may benefit from thinking more broadly about the financial realities that shape retirement long before people stop working.

Methodology

The Family Factor surveyed 1,108 U.S. adults ages 25 to 74 between June 24 and June 28, 2026.

Journalists interested in receiving the complete research report, demographic cross-tabulations, or arranging an interview with Peter de Silva should contact Scott Sunshine.

About IRALOGIX

IRALOGIX is modernizing the $19 trillion IRA market with fully digital, customizable retirement solutions that work for everyone – from the smallest accounts to the largest institutions. Our cloud-based technology allows financial organizations to offer efficient, paperless IRAs under their own brand, without operational complexity or high costs. Designed to integrate seamlessly with your business, IRALOGIX supports both in-house teams and leading third-party providers. The result: a scalable, flexible platform that helps institutions grow, serve more clients, and stay competitive in an evolving retirement landscape. Learn more at www.iralogix.com.