Who's better at getting a family to talk about money matters, mom or dad? Taking sides probably won't make for a harmonious Mother's Day celebration on Sunday.
Yet a survey by a financial services company found that mothers clearly have the upper hand over fathers in getting the discussion started with their adult children. While all families are different, moms are often the ones who encourage conversation about such important topics as financial security in retirement, caring for an elder and estate planning, according to survey results released Tuesday by Fidelity Investments.
"Moms are more likely and open to having deep, detailed discussions," said Lauren Brouhard, a senior vice president for retirement with Fidelity's personal investing business.
"Starting the discussion with mom may be a good strategy," given how awkward such conversations can be, Brouhard said.
Key findings from the Boston-based company include:
_Seventy percent of the mothers aged 55 and older who were surveyed reported they'd had comprehensive discussions with their adult children about their ability to cover living expenses in retirement. Just 55 percent of fathers had talked about that topic.
_Seventy-nine percent of the moms had discussed estate planning or wills with their adult children, compared with 69 percent of fathers.
_Sixty-six percent of mothers had discussed health topics such as caring for elders, while 56 of the dads had done so.
_Sixty-four percent of mothers said it is "not at all difficult" to start a conversation with an adult child about savings and investing, versus 54 percent of fathers who said that.
One reason that mothers were more open to discussing such matters: They were more likely to describe themselves as the "the empathizer" in their families. Fifteen percent of moms said that was the case versus 6 percent of fathers describing themselves that way. Fathers were more likely to view themselves as "the pragmatist" in discussing finances, believing they take a more straightforward approach than mothers.
