The Future of Aging and Longevity - Flipbook - Page 45
“When people underes琀椀mate
their lifespan, they save
too li琀琀le, plan for too few
years, and fail to convert
accumulated wealth into
steady life琀椀me income.”
Research also shows us that income at age
40 predicts age at death by plus or minus 10 to
15 years.37 The forgo琀琀en middle, households
between the 15th and 45th income percen琀椀les,
are entering older adulthood in worse health
and with fewer 昀椀nancial bu昀昀ers than their
predecessors. For these Americans, the longevity
dividend is fragile before it even begins.
The cogni琀椀ve dimension is where the past
decade has revealed something we did not fully
an琀椀cipate. Longer lives mean longer windows of
vulnerability. Financial scams targe琀椀ng older adults
have exploded. Federal Bureau of Inves琀椀ga琀椀on
fraud complaints involving those age 60-plus have
doubled since the pandemic, with an average of
$38,500 stolen per vic琀椀m in 2025.38 That is four
琀椀mes the 昀椀gure from the start of the pandemic.
These are not just random crimes of
opportunity. Scammers engineer situa琀椀ons
that exploit cogni琀椀ve changes, social isola琀椀on,
bereavement, and life transi琀椀ons. They use
authority, urgency, secrecy, and emo琀椀onal
pressure to override the very judgment that
longer lives depend on. For many older and
re琀椀red vic琀椀ms, working to recover stolen assets is
di昀케cult or impossible.
Genera琀椀ve AI has acted as a force mul琀椀plier.
In a recent TIAA study, 72 percent of 70- to
79-year-olds reported being “very concerned”
about AI-enhanced scams.39
Physical and social risks amplify these
challenges. Social isola琀椀on raises the risk
of premature death by nearly 30 percent.
Lonely individuals are more likely to engage
with scammers who o昀昀er companionship and
valida琀椀on. Physical decline strains 昀椀nances
through medical costs and lost earnings. Each risk
feeds the others.
What does the next decade demand to help
get us on track to longevity 昀椀tness? We propose
three ac琀椀ons:
1. Longevity 昀椀tness must become a shared
ins琀椀tu琀椀onal responsibility, not a personal
burden. Employers, 昀椀nancial ins琀椀tu琀椀ons,
and health systems must treat cogni琀椀ve
protec琀椀on and life琀椀me income as standard
features of re琀椀rement planning. Trusted
contacts, advance 昀椀nancial care planning, and
AI-assisted fraud detec琀椀on cannot remain
op琀椀onal add-ons. They must be as rou琀椀ne as
naming a bene昀椀ciary.
2. Health and 昀椀nancial policy must be integrated.
Trea琀椀ng health systems and 昀椀nancial systems
as separate domains fails the people who live
at their intersec琀椀on every day. The longevity
equa琀椀on is mul琀椀plica琀椀ve, not addi琀椀ve. When
health collapses, wealth follows. When wealth
collapses, health follows. Policy must re昀氀ect
that reality.
3. Longevity literacy must reach everyone, not just
those with access to sophis琀椀cated advisors.
The forgo琀琀en middle cannot be le昀琀 to navigate
a longer life with outdated assump琀椀ons and
insu昀케cient guidance. Educa琀椀on, re琀椀rement plan
design, and communica琀椀on must meet people
where they are.
A decade ago, the challenge was to see the
opportunity in longer lives. We certainly have
made progress. The challenge of the next decade
is to protect and nurture that opportunity. The
measure of our progress will be how well we live
and thrive as more of us cross into this new era of
longer lives.
A D ECA D E O F P RO GRE S S , A D ECA D E TO ACT 41
