Full Article Link: https://www.kiplinger.com/retirement/retirement-planning/i-want-to-pay-off-our-grandsons-usd45k-student-loan-debt-but-my-husband-says-we-cant-afford-it-whos-right
Quote from Deon Strickland, Ph.D.
“This really comes down more to the relationship with the grandson and what they’re trying to accomplish. If the grandson has been responsible, appreciates the opportunities he’s had, then maybe there’s a way to help. But it doesn’t necessarily have to be just writing a check.”
— Deon Strickland, Ph.D., Financial Advisor at Scholar Advising
Key Takeaways
Helping family financially is about more than affordability.
For retirees with strong savings and stable income, helping a grandchild with student loans may be financially possible. But as Deon Strickland explains, the bigger question is often what the gift is meant to accomplish — financially and personally.
Support doesn’t have to mean paying everything outright.
Rather than eliminating the debt entirely, families can structure support in ways that encourage responsibility and financial discipline. Matching payments or contributing gradually can reinforce positive habits instead of replacing them.
Retirement planning includes values, not just numbers.
Large gifts to children or grandchildren are often legacy decisions as much as financial ones. They can reflect the values retirees hope to pass down about stewardship, gratitude and long-term planning.
Even affordable gifts deserve strategic planning.
Experts in the article note that retirees should still think carefully about cash flow, taxes and gifting strategies before making major financial gifts, even when they appear manageable on paper.