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By some measures, Generation Z is the hardest hit by the affordability crisis<\/a>. <\/p>\n Even though young adults are more likely to have a\u00a0college degree<\/a>\u00a0and work full time compared with their parents at this age, that combo also comes larger student loan balances<\/a>, which have proved to be a significant obstacle<\/a> for those starting out. <\/p>\n At the same time, prices for goods and services\u00a0continue to rise<\/a> and wages just haven’t kept up with those soaring\u00a0everyday expenses<\/a>. Between 2017 and 2025, median weekly earnings grew by 38%, while rents increased by 50%, according to a new analysis by the Urban Institute<\/a>.<\/p>\n Americans across the board struggle with higher costs, but nearly half, or 49%, of adults ages 18 to 29 have delayed or skipped medical care \u2014 more than any other age group, according to a study by the Century Foundation<\/a>. In addition, this cohort is also more likely to skip a meal due to financial constraints or tap their into savings<\/a> to make ends meet.<\/p>\n More from Financial Advisor Playbook:<\/p>\n Here’s a look at other stories affecting the financial advisor business.<\/p>\n A City College of New York graduate takes a selfie during the school’s commencement ceremony.<\/p>\n Mike Segar | Reuters<\/p>\n Largely because of economic pressures,\u00a0fewer young adults make it on their own. <\/p>\n These days, about half of parents<\/a> \u2014 a record high \u2014 are pitching in to help, several other studies show, including paying essential monthly expenses, such as food, utilities and rent. <\/p>\n The share of young adults living at home peaked during the pandemic, then fell and has been creeping back up, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau.\u00a0Roughly\u00a01 in 3<\/a>\u00a0adults ages 18 to 34 in the U.S. live with a parent, 2025 Census data shows, up slightly from the year before. <\/p>\n The ‘dependency loop’<\/p>\n After years of stock market gains<\/a>, more parents may be in a position to financial help support their grown children, according to Edward Long, a principal at Avity Investment Management in Greenwich, Connecticut, which is ranked No. 75 on this year’s\u00a0CNBC Financial Advisor 100\u00a0<\/a>list.<\/p>\n However, “it could also create a dependency loop” for children who become reliant on those funds, he said. “That is something we talk to our clients about,” he added. “In a lot of situations, the recipients of rather large gifts are dependent on it \u2014 it creates an expectation and dependency.”<\/p>\n And still, many more parents may not have the financial wherewithal to support their children into their 30s, particularly “for a couple in retirement on a fixed income,” Long added. <\/p>\n Ariel Skelley | Digitalvision | Getty Images<\/p>\n Another Ameriprise Financial study<\/a>, which surveyed more than 3,000 parents last year, found that 98% said they would let their children live with them after they turn 21 years old \u2014 but the financial support doesn’t stop there. <\/p>\n Beyond providing shelter, parents are funding their kids well into adulthood, Ameriprise also found.<\/p>\n Roughly 63% of parents are covering ongoing expenses like phone bills for children over the age of 21. Nearly half, or 45%, are paying for their adult children’s health insurance costs until the age of 26, or the legal age limit, and 33% are contributing to their children’s education beyond college, including graduate school.<\/p>\n “Parents are watching their adult children navigate the evolving economic realities of the post-pandemic era, and it’s understandable that they want to step in and help their children establish a solid financial foundation,” Deana Healy, vice president of financial planning and advice at Ameriprise, said in a statement. <\/p>\n According to the research, 65% of parents believed they would still have enough money to retire comfortably, yet 36% worried that supporting adult children financially could impact their plans.<\/p>\n “Parents should be mindful of how the choices they’re making to support adult children today and into the future impact their own goals, particularly for retirement,” Healy said.<\/p>\n Avity’s Long recommends incorporating that support into a comprehensive financial plan. “We advise our clients to make gifts to their children through the gift tax exclusion,” he said. “That enables someone to receive money and also provides a nice estate-planning angle for the parents.” In 2026, the annual exclusion for gifts is $19,000<\/a>.<\/p>\n Disclosure: CNBC receives no compensation from placing financial advisory firms on our\u00a0Financial Advisor 100 list<\/a>. Additionally, a firm or an advisor’s appearance on our ranking does not constitute an individual endorsement by CNBC of any firm or advisor.<\/p>\n