MP Dunleavey at the Stanford Center on Longevity flipped the usual question. Instead of asking how adult children should talk to aging parents about money, she asked what older parents want their kids to understand. I was one of nearly a dozen financial professionals she consulted.
My first observation was that adult children often treat their parents "as a project with a checklist." But this is a relationship, one where money should be part of a much bigger conversation about your parent's dignity and their fear of becoming a burden. Independence and identity are paramount for aging parents, and conversations stall when the younger generation misses that.
My second point was about technology. Tech is the other thing adult kids get backwards. The resistance isn't about the technology, it's not being asked. Adult kids assume their parents will refuse, so they never bring it up, and their parents never get the chance to say yes. That matters more every year, because 57% of older Americans surveyed in 2025 said assistive or health-related tech has improved their quality of life.
The article is a useful read for any family that has managed to plan the funeral but not the years before it.
Read the full article at Standford Center for Longevity →
