WCI #129: Helping Family When They are Bad With Money

Setting financial boundaries with your parents is challenging. These are the people that took care of you for the first 18 years of your life. But that doesn't mean that you are indebted to them for the rest of their lives, to provide for them regardless of their financial choices. A listener asks about helping her parents financially who have already declared bankruptcy once and are in debt again. Most people that have debt problems don't actually change their behavior. They didn't get into debt because they can't do math. It's not a math problem, it's a behavioral problem. They can't live within their means. They don't know how to manage money and that is why they are back in debt. I can understand why you would want to help them, but what you need to keep in mind is how you help them because you can certainly make things worse. We talk about how to help people financially in a way that helps them be successful and keeps your finances safe in this episode. It is possible to do with set rules and clear boundaries. See the show notes at https://www.whitecoatinvestor.com/classic-blog/  We also answer other listener questions in this episode including how long you should hold a bond fund, what an admirable nest egg for 5 years out of residency is, whether you should diversify out of fear for devaluing US Dollar, and putting together a contingency document for your spouse in case of your sudden death. Do you ever find yourself wishing there was somewhere to go to ask your finance, insurance or investing questions? The White Coat Investor community is a great place to turn. We have a thriving community across all of our social channels - facebook, twitter, instagram, reddit and our WCI forum. We have been discussing solutions to your money problems since 2011. Join the conversation with thousands of other White Coat Investors. Follow WCI on your favorite social media platform for financial resources, tips and strategies. Just head to your platform of choice and search for The White Coat Investor. You can do this and The White Coat Investor can help. The White Coat Investor has been helping doctors with their money since 2011. Our free financial planning resource covers a variety of topics from doctor mortgage loans and refinancing medical school loans to physician disability insurance and malpractice insurance. Learn about loan refinancing or consolidation, explore new investment strategies, and discover loan programs specifically aimed at helping doctors. If you're a high-income professional and ready to get a "fair shake" on Wall Street, The White Coat Investor is for you! Main Website: https://www.whitecoatinvestor.com  YouTube: https://www.whitecoatinvestor.com/youtube  Student Loan Advice: https://studentloanadvice.com  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewhitecoatinvestor  Twitter: https://twitter.com/WCInvestor  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewhitecoatinvestor  Subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/whitecoatinvestor  Online Courses: https://whitecoatinvestor.teachable.com  Newsletter: https://www.whitecoatinvestor.com/free-monthly-newsletter