Most Americans Want To Age at Home. Not Enough Have Successfully Planned Financially for It.

There’s no place like home—and for many Americans these, that remains true well into their golden years. While many would prefer aging in their own environment, the challenge is figuring out how they can afford to do so.Northwestern Mutual’s 2026 Planning & Progress Study found that 73% of Americans would prefer to receive in-home care if a health event warranted it. And that preference is stronger with older generations: 83% of boomers and 78% of Gen X would choose in-home care, compared with 67% of millennials and 61% of Gen Z."The vast majority of Americans hope that they will be able to age gracefully in the home they’ve loved for years. For financial advisors, our significant opportunity is to help people convert that goal into a financial reality through comprehensive planning. For homeowners, it means planning ahead and holistically," says Laura Swafford, associate private wealth advisor at Sozo Private Wealth, a Northwestern Mutual company in Peachtree Corners, GA.And therein lies the problem. Staying put is the new downsizing—and it comes at a costFor many years, the conventional wisdom was that once you age, it’s time to sell the family home and downsize to fund care ...