People tend to underestimate how long they are going to live. Why is this? One contributing factor is that the life expectancy “facts” we usually see or hear are themselves underestimates.
Retirement planning
On gaining pension freedom
British pension savers have been granted the freedom to spend their pension pots how they choose. Amid the hype, does what’s happening tell us anything useful?
Still living longer?
Not so long ago it was a surprise that people were living so long. Now we constantly hear “we are all living longer”. But recent mortality data in the UK surprised in the opposite direction: more people have died than expected. It’s complicated, but it looks like a slowing down rather than a reversing of the trend towards longer lives. We are still likely to keep living longer. Policy makers and anyone planning retirement need to keep anticipating longevity improvements.