Rethinking Wealth in a 100-Year Life

From National TV to Normal Life

There was time when turning 100 meant your name might get read on national television.

Willard Scott, longtime weatherman on The Today Show, would pause his forecast to celebrate Americans who hit that once-unthinkable milestone – often with a photo, a smile, and a jar of Smucker’s jam.

It was rare. It was newsworthy. And it was a big deal.

But, today, longevity is no longer a remote possibility and we’re helping more families plan and invest as if it’s the baseline.

Your Timeline Just Got Longer. So Should Your Wealth Strategy.

 According to the Social Security Administration:

•  The average 65-year-old man is expected to live to 84.3

• The average 65-year-old woman? 86.7

• 1 in 3 65-year-olds will live past 90, while 1 in 7 will reach 95

 For couples, the odds stretch even further:

•  A 65-year-old couple has a 50% chance that one of them will live to 93

• A 1 in 4 chance that one will reach 97

Now factor in breakthroughs in medicine, technology, and wellness, and it's clear: We’re not just adding years — we’re adding decades of possibility.  

A 40-Year Second Act Isn’t an Edge Case Anymore

Retirement isn’t the finish line it used to be.

It no longer a brief closing chapter at the end of a career. For many, it’s a second act that could last just as long as the first.

Many believe that Social Security will be there to support them. But it was never built for this kind of longevity.

Designed in the 1930s, when life expectancy barely cleared 60, the program simply doesn’t reflect today’s realities. Relying on it as the foundation, especially for high-net-worth families, is more outdated than it is dependable.

A longer life brings more:

• Career chapters

• Relocations and transitions

• Generational planning decisions

• Health and care considerations

• Time to invest, give, create, and adapt

 So, it’s worth asking: Has your plan evolved with the life you're actually living?

What a Longer Future Asks of Wealth Strategy

A 30- to 40-year planning horizon requires more than caution. It asks for clarity, flexibility, and endurance.

It changes how you allocate risk. How you generate income. How you think about ownership and control across decades.

And it challenges one of the most common instincts in retirement: Getting too conservative too soon.

Dialing down growth might feel safer in the short run — but over a longer horizon, it can quietly erode your ability to fund the life you want.

I wrote more about this in my article for TheStreet.com: The Hidden Dangers of Conservative Retirement Planning.

The longer the life, the more meaningful each adjustment becomes.

You don’t need a more complicated plan. You need one that stretches with you.

Because living longer doesn’t just give you more time. It gives you more opportunity — and that deserves to be planned for.