Longevity Literacy: Framing the Conversation Around Living Longer Lives 

For decades, advisors have helped clients prepare for retirement. Now, the challenge is helping them plan through it. With life expectancy continuing to rise, the conversation around longevity has become one of the most important — and misunderstood — aspects of retirement planning. 

Yet “longevity literacy” remains surprisingly low. Many clients underestimate how long they might live, which can lead to under-saving, overly conservative withdrawals, or misaligned expectations about income guarantees. For advisors, building literacy around longevity isn’t just about statistics — it’s about reframing the entire narrative of what retirement looks like. 

Why Longevity Literacy Matters 

Research from the Society of Actuaries (SOA), the Stanford Center on Longevity, and the MIT AgeLab all point to the same issue: Americans consistently underestimate how long they’re likely to live — often by five to ten years. 

The SOA’s data shows that a 65-year-old couple has roughly a 50% chance that one spouse will live past age 90, yet few retirement plans are built around that horizon. Stanford’s research highlights a similar gap, noting that many retirees plan as though they’ll spend only 15 years in retirement, even though 25–30 years is increasingly common. MIT’s AgeLab adds that this “longevity blind spot” doesn’t just affect savings and withdrawal rates — it influences how clients think about lifestyle, purpose, and care in later life. 

This gap in understanding has real financial consequences. If clients draw down assets too quickly, or underestimate health and housing costs, they may face shortfalls just as their expenses begin to rise. Helping clients see the odds clearly is the first step in creating more sustainable, realistic income strategies. 

Turning Longevity from Fear to Framework 

Talking about outliving one’s money can sound daunting. But reframing longevity as an opportunity — the gift of more years — creates a more constructive conversation. Advisors can help clients view longevity through the lens of income sustainability, flexibility, and purpose, not fear. 

A useful framing device is to connect longevity to lifestyle questions rather than mortality statistics: 

• How might spending patterns evolve as health and travel priorities shift? 
• What tradeoffs can ensure both early enjoyment and long-term security? 
• Which income sources are built to last — and which are not? 

When clients begin to view longevity as a planning variable rather than an unknown threat, they become more receptive to solutions designed to sustain their income and independence across a longer life span — whether that involves guaranteed income, flexible withdrawal strategies, or phased annuitization. 

Helping Clients Visualize Longevity 

Numbers alone don’t make longevity real. Visualization tools, probability charts, or side-by-side life expectancy comparisons can bridge the gap between data and understanding. When clients see how likely it is they’ll live into their 90s, discussions around risk, spending, and income protection become more meaningful. 

Equally important is language. “Longevity risk” can sound negative; “longevity planning” feels empowering. That subtle shift reframes the conversation from one of fear to one of design — helping clients imagine not just how long their retirement might last, but how well they’ll live throughout it. 

Closing Thought 

Longevity literacy is the foundation of sustainable retirement planning. By helping clients understand not just how long their assets might last, but how long they might last, advisors can transform uncertainty into confidence — and guide clients toward financial and emotional readiness for the long journey ahead. 

Takeaways 

• Studies from SOA, Stanford, and MIT show that many clients underestimate lifespan by 5–10 years — creating serious planning gaps. 
• Reframing “longevity risk” as “longevity planning” encourages more open, constructive discussions about retirement goals. 
• Visual tools and lifestyle-based framing help clients internalize what longevity truly means — and prepare for it with confidence.