Almost All Retirement Plans Need Serious Updating in Light of the Mortality Revolution

Longevity’s Impact on Products and Plans

Most retirement plans have not incorporated the longevity risk. Mortality risk is a risk multiplier that acerbates other retirement risks. Without mitigating mortality risk, many middle class retirees could exhaust their 401(k)s and be left with Social Security and a little equity in their homes. The possibility is based on the sequence of returns, the math principle of withdrawing from your retirement plan in down markets. The sequence of returns during that period of the Great Recession left some retirees reeling with cash shortages and a future some are still recovering from.

Living longer may affect the quality of life because medical bills and long term care costs will absorb discretionary dollars. 70% of seniors today use some long-term care assistance. Living longer will only compound the problem and the expense. If the baby boomer generation gets tight with their money, it could cause a rippling affect on the economy as spending grinds to a halt.

Inflation is a real and ever present danger to seniors. It doesn’t matter what the declared rate of the CPI is or any other inflation indicator, if it doesn’t include the commodities of life; it’s a worthless gauge. The purchasing power of your retirement dollar is a risk and the longer you live the risk becomes greater. It is estimated that over the last 50 years the purchasing power of the dollar has eroded 85%. It could be a mini-depression for those living past average mortality expectations just to pay the bills. Even Social Security can’t be relied upon to generate a cost of living adjustment (COLA). Over the last seven years, Social Security has credited little to nothing in COLA for Social Security recipients.

Only guaranteed lifetime annuities can generate life-long income and can be purchased with a COLA to meet increasing costs of living during retirement. Without guaranteed lifetime income and an inflation rider, you’re subject to running out of money with no increase to meet the demand of the increasing costs of basic goods and services. Now is the time to purchase a block of income for your portfolio.