What Life Expectancy Means to Retirement Planning

The toughest question to answer when planning for retirement is, How long will I need the money? The truth is: no one knows for sure. If you have heard of life expectancy estimates but are not quite sure what they represent and what that means for your future, read on. Pension planners and insurance actuaries alike rely on life expectancy data to set rates and forecast payouts. Obviously, there is a need for a baseline. But, most people do not realize that life expectancy changes as you age.

For children born in 2002, the life expectancy for a male is 74.5; for a female it’s 79.9.1 Due to medical advances and lifestyle trends, these estimates have generally crept up a bit each year. Still, the way they are calculated is the Pension planners and insurance actuaries alike rely on life expectancy data to set rates and forecast payouts. Obviously, there is a need for a baseline. But, most people do not realize that life expectancy changes as you age.

For children born in 2002, the life expectancy for a male is 74.5; for a female it’s 79.9.1 Due to medical advances and lifestyle trends, these estimates have generally crept up a bit each year. Still, the way they are calculated is the same: These numbers are a median for the population’s collective life span. In other words, 50% of people will die before they reach that age while 50% will live beyond it.

Interestingly, the longer you live, the longer you are expected to live. In fact, men who turned 61 in 2002 are expected to live to age 80; likewise, women are expected to reach 83.7. If a married couple both live to age 65, there is a Interestingly, the longer you live, the longer you are expected to live. In fact, men who turned 61 in 2002 are expected to live to age 80; likewise, women are expected to reach 83.7. If a married couple both live to age 65, there is a 50% chance one of them will make it to 90. With those statistics in mind, it’s clear that more people than you might expect will require retirement income that can stretch several decades into the future.

I contacted Immediate Annuities.com to buy one of my immediate annuities. They were prompt, very responsive, paid attention to detail, understood my objectives, and were superb when it came to staying on top of seeing the funds transfer and issue of new policy documents through to completion.

Dr. David Babbel Professor Wharton School

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Fortunately, there are some financial instruments designed to provide retirees with guaranteed income for as long as they need it. The Lifetime Income Annuity from New York Life Insurance and Annuity Corporation (A Delaware Corp.), can help retirees plan confidently for a long and fruitful retirement. Using a lump sum premium, individuals or couples can purchase a Lifetime Income Annuity, which will provide them with a guaranteed2 income that is not subject to market swings and cannot be outlived. Even if your retirement lasts 30 or 40 years, your Lifetime Income Annuity payments can be relied upon to be there, no matter what.

Various features can be added to your annuity contract at purchase, including an Annual Increase Option3, which helps combat inflation, and a Cash Refund option that will return to your heirs the difference between your initial premium and any payments already received if you should die prematurely.