I’m Really Behind on Retirement. My 12-Year-Old Might Be Able to Help.

Pay Dirt July 29, 20266:00 AM Photo illustration by Slate. Photo by Paperkites/Getty Images Plus. Pay Dirt is Slate’s money advice column. Have a question? Send it to Kristin and Ilyce here. (It’s anonymous!) Dear Pay Dirt, I’m a 48-year-old mom of a 12-year-old son. He was fortunate to receive a modest inheritance from a relative when he was a baby. With market gains, he now has about $135,000 in a taxable brokerage account in my name, informally earmarked for college (I didn’t open a 529 because I’m unsure he’ll go to college in the U.S.). If I leave it alone, I expect he’ll have around $200,000 when he’s 18. However, I’m behind on my own retirement savings. I’m self-employed, have about $225,000 saved, and I’ve been struggling the past year to add to my Roth IRA due to some medical expe