Business Wire·Nov 10, 2026, 9:05 AM ET

New Jackson Study Finds the "Sandwich Generation" Squeeze Comes from More Than Two Sides and It's Quietly Draining Retirement Savings

More than one-third of pre-retirees provided significant financial support to adult family members over the past decade, with Gen X investors carrying the heaviest burden.
Pre-retirees who supported family members have saved only 54% of their retirement needs, compared to 66% for those who did not provide support.
76% of pre-retirees who previously gave financial help expect to continue doing so in the next decade, making it a recurring rather than one-time expense.
Adult children were the primary recipients of support, with housing, long-term care, and job loss cited as leading reasons for giving.
Gen X investors are nearly twice as likely to provide support again, often funding it through credit cards, loans, or retirement account withdrawals.
Pre-retirees who provided family support carry mortgage balances nearly $70,000 higher on average than those who did not.
Nearly 70% of financial professionals do not view family financial support as a significant retirement risk, with only 10% considering it "very important" to plan for.
The research was conducted by Jackson National Life Insurance Company in partnership with the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College using surveys of 819 investors and 400 financial professionals in 2026.