What is a realistic life expectancy assumption. 90, 120, or more?

[Anonymous]

I am 61 and dad died at 54 and grandad died at 40. I am in uncharted waters. All the men in family die young. The women live forever.

My Grandmother was a widow for 50 years and mother a widow for 25 years

[Anonymous]

I’d just want enough money to go to that clinic in Switzerland after 92. Who wants to live that long.

[Anonymous]

Plan to 90. I have zero interest in any life saving options past 90.

[Anonymous]

This shouldn't affect your current savings plans. If there are medical revolutions that extend life expectancy, you will just have to work longer so that a portion of that extra life is dedicated to work and a portion to retirement.

[Anonymous]

I come from a long lived family. But that doesn't prevent family members from dying before the ages their parents/grandparents did, despite having good health and abstaining from vices. You do not know what will happen. But it does make sense to plan for a long life to be on the safe side.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I come from a long lived family. But that doesn't prevent family members from dying before the ages their parents/grandparents did, despite having good health and abstaining from vices. You do not know what will happen. But it does make sense to plan for a long life to be on the safe side.

Yes, this is why individual retirement saving doesn’t really make sense. The stochastic modeling has too much spread. With a large pension plan with many participants, the actuaries work on averages, so it doesn’t matter if one person lives extra long because another person will die unexpectedly soon and it all evens out. You can’t risk spread that way for individual 401ks. You can buy an annuity and let them risk spread.

[Anonymous]

My mother died at 63 (smoker) and my dad at 86. I'm assuming early to mid 80s since I am not a smoker nor obese.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:US life expectancy is going down. Don't worry about past 90.

It’s going down because we’re importing hordes of third world immigrants and lots of people are ODing on fentanyl. This won’t affect your lifespan.

The percentage of the US population that are immigrants is lower in 2024 than it was in 2019 and significantly lower than it was in 1890.

[Anonymous]

I’m shooting for 150.

[Anonymous]

There are MANY life expectancy calculators on line. Google is your friend.

No one can predict the future (ie, life expectancy went down during COVID).

[Anonymous]

I plan to live to 123.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:US life expectancy is going down. Don't worry about past 90.

It’s going down because we’re importing hordes of third world immigrants and lots of people are ODing on fentanyl. This won’t affect your lifespan.

The percentage of the US population that are immigrants is lower in 2024 than it was in 2019 and significantly lower than it was in 1890.

Life expectancy in 1890 was only 50.

[Anonymous]

OP —you’re in your 30s, you said. When you’re in your 50s, and some friends have died and others are dealing with health conditions, and your own body starts failing in various ways, you will no longer feel that you need to plan for living past 100. You’ll be hoping to make it to 80 in relatively good health.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good question, I count in steps of 30. Planning 30-60-90. Money really only has to last from 70-90. If you make it to 120 - not sure how a society would be able to absorb all these old people. 50 years retirement is long.

That will blow up social security even more than it has been blown up. Can you imagine a society where all of these old people need a ton of care for 50 years each? Why would you want that? Maybe a pig heart can be transplanted into your body but your brain will definitely be fried. If you live past 100 it will be a few years. And your quality of life will probably not be great.

No you are not thinking right. For most people 75 is what 65 was 40 years ago. That will keep going forward. Not too much to think that in 39 years 85 is what 65 was in the 80s.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP —you’re in your 30s, you said. When you’re in your 50s, and some friends have died and others are dealing with health conditions, and your own body starts failing in various ways, you will no longer feel that you need to plan for living past 100. You’ll be hoping to make it to 80 in relatively good health.

Most of the people I know in their 50s and 60s are pretty healthy with no real concerns. I don't know anyone who has died (except by a car accident or whatever) and I'm in my 50s and don't really feel any aging effects yet. I think of what you're talking about as how you might feel in your 70s and 80s. My parents are in their 80s and still going strong--though they have a couple of health concerns. My grandparents passed away in their late 90s. So I think this really varies person to person/social circle to social circle. My parents are definitely planning to live to 100--and given that their parents all made it well into their 90s it doesn't seem too unlikely.