10/26/2026
How many years before you are ready to be "retired"?
It's one of the most important numbers yet.
TIAA's 2026 longevity literacy research found that workers who expect a shorter retirement save less consistently than those who expect a longer one.
That makes sense, but it also means the people who assume their retirement will be short are the same ones who may be building portfolios with shorter time horizons.
Once someone has already reached 65, the numbers shift.
According to Social Security Administration data:
📌 A 65-year-old man has roughly a 24 percent chance of living past 90
📌 A 65-year-old woman's chances are higher, closer to 35 percent
📌 For a 65-year-old married couple, there is about a 50 percent chance that at least one spouse lives past 90
The practical implication is not "assume you will live to 100."
It's that a retirement income strategy built around the "average lifespan" often assumes a person will die on schedule. Most people do not.
If retirement is on your horizon, the question to ask is, "What happens to my income strategy if I live to 95?"
