#141 - Why Longevity Makes Retirement a Whole New Game
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I love putting out episodes of the Retirement Answer Man podcast because you don’t think about your retirement every day of your life, but I do! I get to experience varied conversations with people from all walks of life about their retirement goals, every day of the work week. That’s a lot of varied experiences - and I love to share them with you on the show. One thing that’s been coming across my desk a lot lately is the very real issue of how life expectancy is going up these days. Why is that a retirement planning issue? Because if you’re going to live longer your retirement goals need to be tweaked a bit to accommodate that expectation. On this episode of the show, I’ve got some things to share about how the retirement landscape is changing, both because of increases in life expectancy and because of cultural shifts that have taken place almost unnoticed. And I’ve got a special guest to introduce you to as well. I hope you take the time to listen. Financial planning is good, but is it the only kind of retirement planning you need to do? 

When we mention retirement planning we immediately think of finances. That’s a good thing because, without the finances to support yourself in even a meager way, you simply won’t be able to survive. But beyond that, the advances we’re seeing in nutrition, exercise, and medicine are making longevity a reality for more and more people - so you might be living even longer. Sure, that impacts your finances, but it also impacts the number of years you’ll actually be in the retirement stage of life. So you’ve got some new questions to ask yourself that have nothing to do with finances - such as “What will I DO for those extra years, what will my life be about?” On this episode of the podcast, we’re diving into that subject with my special guest, Andrew Scott, co-author of “The 100 Year Life.” How is longevity going to affect your retirement? 

If you’re going to live longer, then naturally you’ll have more years to enjoy your life - so it’s important that you plan on enjoying it by getting a clear vision of what you want to do and should do for that extra time on the planet. But you also need to consider that it’s quite possible that your retirement age will shift to a later point in your life, allowing you to be a full-time income earner for longer than has been the case in the past. Or, you could decide to do what more and more people are doing these days and take your normal retirement and choose to then spend your time building your own business, based on your experience and interests. It’s like a second career that you actually love even more! More ideas are ahead, on this episode. Are you still living in a 3-stage approach to life? 

In days gone by we’ve been taught to look at life through what many are calling a 3-stage approach. All that means is that there are three main segments or seasons of life - education - work - retirement. Makes sense, right? The problem these days is that life in the modern world isn’t fitting so nicely into those neat compartments anymore. Longevity for many people is becoming a real thing, and therefore they have the health and stamina to continue contribution to society as bread-winners, innovators, and company-builders. As a result, retirement age is stretching into the late 60s and early 70s. That means that more of life is consumed with production and contribution to society, which is a good thing. The point is that the 3-stage approach isn’t working so well anymore - and my guest today, Andrew Scott has a good deal of solid insights to share from his research into the impact of longevity on the culture. You can hear it on this episode. Retirement is about the experiences of life as much as it is the financial security. 

I’m the first person to say that you need to be financially secure during your retirement years. But financial security is not the only consideration - and I’d even say it’s not the most important consideration. What’s more important? Let me get to it by asking you a question… What good would it do you to be financially secure in retirement but to have a life that’s not very enjoyable or that you feel is being wasted? It’s more important that the quality of your life is what it needs to be - and what you want it to be - than the amount of money you have to fall back on. The younger generations are getting this one right in a lot of ways. They are buying experiences and finding ways of making meaningful contributions more than working to accumulate wealth. I don’t believe it’s an either-or thing, but I do think we’re a bit out of balance on this one. You can learn more about how I see the issue on this episode. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE RETIREMENT ANSWER MAN 

• [0:25] Reasons it was easier for our parents and previous generations to retire.
• [1:40] One of my biggest beef to financial and retirement planning.
• [2:32] The story of “Who Moved My Cheese?”

HOT TOPIC SEGMENT 

• [6:20] Is there a retirement crisis in the United States? Recent reports say there is.

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? SEGMENT 

• [8:49] Today’s term: Thrive - what does it mean for today in this retirement environment?

PRACTICAL PLANNING SEGMENT 

• [10:25] Why the “paint by numbers” approach doesn’t work - and the reason I invited author Andrew Scott to be on the show.
• [12:40] Is it a bit scary to you to think of living 100 years or more?
• [14:10] Learning to live all of life fully instead of shooting for retirement as your goal.
• [16:09] What’s wrong with a 3-stage model of life (education - work - retirement) in this new age we live in?
• [18:20] How the concept of retirement is changing and the implications it has on how you plan for it.
• [21:40] Why the 3-stage model of life can become a curse in today’s world.
• [26:38] Why the 40s are a great time to reassess and re-strategize for retirement.
• [29:43] How younger generations are learning a better approach to life, work, and retirement.
• [31:02] Be aware that there’s more to consider regarding retirement than finances.

TODAY’S SMART SPRINT SEGMENT 

• [32:24] Read: “Who Moved My Cheese?” - Think about it from the standpoint of what has moved on you.

THE HAPPY LAB SEGMENT 

• [33:22] My 26th wedding anniversary celebration - my lesson learned from not reading the card carefully - and the importance of laughter and giving grace.

 RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE 

Email Roger your book recommendations: roger(at)wwkllc.com

BOOK:  Who Moved My Cheese?)

BOOK: The 100 Year Life)

Roger’s retirement learning center: www.RogerWhitney.com/learn)

The Retirement Answer Man Facebook page: www.Facebook.com/RetirementAnswerMan)