Do People’s Longevity Expectations Shape Their Key Financial Decisions?

A person with gray hair sitting on a wooden bench, gazing at a sandy, grassy landscape with a cloudy sky, evoking a sense of solitude.

We have recently explored this question focusing on smokers, since smoking is widely confirmed to reduce human life spans. Our research reveals a stunning gap between objective life expectancy and how smokers think about their own life spans. To examine this point, we asked 963 in a representative sample in Israel whether they thought they would live as long as, less than, or longer than an average person.Read More

How Can Family Fit Into Your Retirement Plans?

The extended family is an important part of retirement planning for many Americans.  Indeed, in the past, family members frequently helped fill in gaps when people grew older. Yet today, people increasingly reach their senior years with few — or no — family members who can help. I believe that family concerns are often given inadequate consideration in retirement planning, and this article offers some facts and ideas to consider.Read More