Key Takeaways Enduring childhood abuse or a parental divorce often has negative consequences for a person's wealth later in life, says a recent report from the Center for Retirement Research (CRR) at Boston College. And that can have a big impact on retirement security. In the December 2025 study, CRR researchers found that facing adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)—like emotional neglect, household mental illness, or alcoholism—resulted in people aged 52 to 60 having a net worth that was substantially low ...