The Rich are Betting on Living to 100

Across the world life expectancy has increased – except in the United States, which experts attribute to the opioid crisis in the country. But overall the wealthy are living longer in America, with the 1% having an average life span of 10 years longer for females and 15 years longer for males compared to the life expectancy of the lowest 1% in income.

Reaching triple digits is no easy feat, and can become quite costly. It could involve better food, higher level of healthcare, time for regular exercise, etc. The added years also mean having to keep paying your own expenses and bills during that extra time. In the UBS survey, which focused on people with more than $1 million in investable assets, 91% said they’re “making financial changes due to increased life expectancy.”

“Rising inequality is about more than just a widening gap in wealth and income. The richest Americans are also living much longer, healthier lives than everyone else.”

See Ben Steverman, The Rich are Betting on Living to 100, Bloomberg, April 19, 2018.

Special thanks to Jim Hillhouse (Professional Legal Marketing (PLM, Inc.) for bringing this article to my attention.