THE NEW RULES OF RETIREMENT SAVING • 111
modern medicine can help them. Those bad genes won’t be the death sentence they were to Grandpa Max in 1966. In short, we can’t base our longevity assumptions on the past, because the past didn’t have access to our current medical envi- ronment. We have to base our longevity assumption on a forward projection that takes into account how long we’re likely to live, not how long others like us have lived in the past. Predict My Lifespan There’s no way to predict how long you’ll live (if I had figured that out, I’d be a billionaire living on a beach somewhere). But there are some basic factors that can hint you may live a longer or shorter life. Factors that may suggest a longer life: • Grandparent or parent who lived to be 85+ • Low family history of cancer, heart attack and stroke • Regular exercise • Wearing your seat belt • Eating a healthy diet • Regular interaction with family and friends Factors that may suggest a shorter life: • Parents or grandparents who died before age 65 from a disease that is not preventable today • Family history of cancer, heart attack or stroke • Smoking • Not wearing your seat belt • Suffering from a chronic illness that negatively impacts your lifespan • Sedentary lifestyle Addressing Longevity Risk There’s an easy way to address longevity risk, though nobody likes it much: try to die before your mid-eighties.
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker