One of the most common financial planning goals is saving for retirement. A key consideration in a great retirement plan is making a reasonable estimate of how long you'll live. But another important question is: How long will you live healthily?
My mother is 86 and doing great, but she often talks about friends and acquaintances who struggle with health issues. Chronic illness not only shortens life expectancy but also significantly diminishes quality of life.
So, what can we do to give ourselves the best possible chance of staying healthy for longer?
I recently came across research that shows the choices we make can impact how long and how well we live. Author and researcher Dan Buettner has studied communities where people live exceptionally long lives, known as Blue Zones. He identified nine common factors among these communities:
- Move naturally: Incorporate physical activity into your daily life. Bike to work, walk to the store, or take the stairs.
- Purpose: Having a "reason for being" is powerful. People who know why they get up in the morning tend to thrive.
- Downshift: Take a few minutes each day to de-stress. It could be prayer, meditation, a quiet walk, a nap, or cocktails with friends.
- 80% Rule: Stop eating when you're 80% full. People tend to live longer when they eat smaller evening meals and refrain from eating again for the rest of the day.
- Plant slant: You may have heard, “Eat real food, mostly plants, not too much.” The Blue Zones research confirms this.
- Wine at 5: Moderate drinkers tend to outlive non-drinkers. The key is having 1–2 glasses of wine with food and friends.
- Belong: Most long-lived individuals are part of a faith-based community. Attending services four times a month can add 4–14 years to life expectancy.
- Loved ones first: Centenarians prioritize family. They often live near or with aging parents and grandparents, commit to a life partner (which can add up to three years to life expectancy), and invest time and attention in their children.
- Right tribe: The world’s longest-lived people are surrounded by friends who support healthy behaviors. Social networks reinforce these choices.
So, how would living another 10 years affect your retirement plan? Maybe it’s worth a visit with an experienced, highly-trained, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional and Behavioral Financial Advisor in West Saint Paul, Minnesota to help understand your options. I love to meet new people. So, follow this LINK to find a time for us to have a get-acquainted visit.
I am a financial planner who is an advocate for my clients ALL THE TIME – a fiduciary financial planner. I provide guidance based on clients’ best interests, not commissions or sales quotas. I think it’s the best way to serve clients and I am thrilled to work this way all the time.
And yes, I’m still taking on a few great families to be part of my financial planning practice in West Saint Paul, Minnesota and, thanks to Zoom, across the country.
Dunncreek Advisors does not provide legal or tax advice, nor is this article intended to do so.