Half of men celebrating their 65th birthdays this year are expected to live for nearly 21 more years while half of women reaching 65 are expected to live more than 24 years, latest official life expectancy statistics reveal.
New life expectancy projection figures from the Office for National Statistics show rising life expectancy but a slowing in the rate of improvement.
Stephen Lowe, group communications director at retirement specialist Just Group, said the figures are an important reminder for those reaching retirement of the importance of looking decades into the future when making plans because the chances of living to great age are higher than many people may believe.
“It’s important not to fixate on average life expectancy because it doesn’t tell you what is likely to happen at an individual level,” he said.
“Someone reaching 65 this year is as just as likely to live two full decades or more as they are to die early in retirement. That means having financial plans in place for all the ‘what ifs’ – that you die early, that you live to around your life expectancy, or that you live longer than average.
“A combination of retirement solutions including both investments and Guaranteed Income for Life solutions can help cover all the bases, giving retirees the peace of mind to spend their pension money today knowing it won’t run out in the future.”
