Here’s why averages are dangerous…
Have you ever heard of Jeanne Calment?
She was born in France in 1875 and lived until the ripe old age of 122 years and 164 days, before dying in 1997.
She met Vincent van Gogh and watched the first space shuttle launch!
What an amazing life, especially considering the average lifespan in France is about 82 years!
You've probably heard the counsel to plan for retirement based on the average lifespan.
Dangerous.
Could your lifestyle hold up through those extra 40 years of retirement?
The concept of “average” or “normal” life expectancy literally means that HALF the people are dead by that age.
Therefore, it also means that half the people are still ALIVE.
And for the half that live past the “average,” people like Jeanne (and you and me, I hope), it means many more years of lifestyle that your retirement monies must support.
A recent report estimated that only 1-out-of-2 soon-to-be retirees will have sufficient assets to last their lifetimes. Some Baby Boomers have decided that they will just work until they die because they don't have a choice.
Why no choice?
They may have received the wrong advice. Maybe they didn’t plan. Maybe they were sold the wrong product.
Either way, the sooner you know, the more choices you have.
It never hurts to get a second opinion and find out if you’re good beyond the averages.
Retire Abundantly Quote
“There's one thing I always wanted to do before I quit… retire!”
-Groucho Marx
