Episode 374 – The latest U.S. life expectancy figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offer some fantastic news. The prospect of increased longevity should make all of us smile. But does it complicate your retirement planning?

Hello, this is Bill Rainaldi, with another edition of Security Mutual’s SML Planning Minute. In today’s episode, good news: life expectancy is going up!

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, life expectancy in the U.S. hit a record high in 2024 at age 79. It was 78.4 the previous year. In addition, death rates from things like heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease all went down. Perhaps surprisingly, the biggest drop of all occurred with deaths due to overdoses, which went down by 14.4 percent.[1]

The previous peak had been 78.8 in 2019, the last year before COVID. As a result of the pandemic, life expectancy had dropped to 76.4 years in 2021. But COVID deaths have gone down by 93 percent since their 2021 peak.[2] So even though COVID is still a concern, particularly among older Americans, it’s safe to say that, for the most part, the pandemic is over.

It is believed that a significant portion of the improvement stems from better medications, including the introduction of GLP-1s.[3] Of course, there is no guarantee that progress will continue, that another pandemic can be avoided, or that experience and research regarding any prescribed treatment doesn’t result in a change of course. But right now, the news is positive in many ways.

But the good news also highlights a dilemma: many people are likely to end up living longer than they expected, especially if the recent mortality expectation improvement continues. And you might not be ready for it. Have you prepared for a long retirement? This is something we talked about extensively back in episode 330.

One of the biggest fears people have going into retirement is that they’ll eventually run out of money. A recent survey by Global Atlantic Financial Group indicates that a full 67 percent of people between the ages of 55 and 75 are concerned about outliving their assets.[4]

So how do you plan for a long retirement? One way to start is to consider a “decumulation” strategy. That is, a retirement withdrawal plan. You need to think carefully about your preferred lifestyle in retirement, and whether your assets are likely to make it past age 90.

According to a recent study by IRALOGIX, 49 percent of retirees are operating without a formal withdrawal strategy.[5] These people instead just take what they need as they go. Only 22 percent have a systematic withdrawal process. Another 17 percent are fortunate enough that they can afford living on dividends and interest alone.

One possible tool to use for planning a lengthy retirement is a series of Roth conversions during the early years of retirement. Unlike a traditional IRA, a Roth IRA does not have Required Minimum Distributions or RMDs. The big disadvantage to a Roth is that you don’t get a tax deduction going in. The big advantage is that while the account still grows tax-free, and if you follow the rules, any money that does come out, is tax-free.

Additionally, since you took a tax deduction when you contributed to your IRA or 401(k), moving that money into a Roth would be considered a taxable transaction. RMDs generally begin at age 73, or age 75 for people born 1960 or later. But if you retire before that age, it could be a great time to start gradually converting to a Roth during those intervening years. If you’re in a lower tax bracket because you’re not working, it can be more tax advantaged.

All that said, it’s a good idea to validate your Roth IRA approach with a tax advisor, as there may be situations where withdrawals may become taxable if the Roth has not been in place and seasoned for a minimum of five (5) years.

You can also check your Social Security. If you haven’t started yet, there are some decisions you’ll need to make. You can begin collecting as early as age 62 (age 60 if you’re a surviving spouse) or as late as age 70. The benefit goes up a little bit every month you wait between the two. Generally speaking, the longer you live, the more it makes sense to wait.

Yet another way to approach decumulation is to use a “bucket” method. This comes in several varieties, but one popular version has been put forward by Christine Benz at Morningstar.[6] Under this concept, you set up your retirement savings in three different retirement “buckets.”

Bucket one would be invested in something liquid such as a money market fund. This bucket would be available for short-term cash needs, with maybe two or three years’ worth of expenses.[7]

Bucket two would be on the conservative side, with a combination of stocks, bonds and cash investments. Money in this bucket would be gradually shifted into bucket one as needed over time.[8]

Bucket three would be invested in assets with high growth potential. This is the bucket that is going to have the most volatility and is going to require the bulk of your attention.[9] The hope is that by gradually shifting your assets from one bucket to the next, you’ll get a better sense of how long your assets are going to last, and whether you need to make adjustments.

It truly is great news that life expectancy has been going up. So many of us are looking forward to a lengthy retirement, perhaps even longer than we originally expected. But it comes with a downside: it may end up straining your finances more than you realize. The best you can do is think about it ahead of time and be ready if you’re lucky enough to experience a lengthy retirement.

[1] Wall Street Journal Editorial Board. “A U.S. Life Expectancy Milestone.” The Wall Street Journal. https://www.wsj.com/opinion/u-s-life-expectancy-2024-record-cdc-health-mortality-cancer-covid-60a171ee (accessed February 13, 2026).

[2] Id.

[3] Id.

[4] Almazora, Leo. “Two-thirds of investors worried they’ll outlive their assets.” Investmentnews.com. https://www.investmentnews.com/retirement-planning/two-thirds-of-investors-worried-theyll-outlive-their-assets/259916 (accessed April 8, 2025).

[5] IRALOGIX. “Nearly Half of Retirees Lack a Structured Decumulation Strategy, Raising Concerns Over Rapid Depletion of Savings, New Survey Finds.” Iralogix.com. https://iralogix.com/nearly-half-of-retirees-lack-a-structured-decumulation-strategy-raising-concerns-over-rapid-depletion-of-savings-new-survey-finds/  (accessed February 27, 2026).

[6] Wohlner, Roger. “Living Past 90: How to Play the Long Game on Retirement, Tax Planning.” Thinkadvisor.com. https://www.thinkadvisor.com/2025/03/26/how-to-plan-for-clients-who-might-live-to-90-and-beyond/?recombee_recomm_id=dec3bbe9440a929183645028596b8bf4 (accessed April 9, 2025).

[7] Id.

[8] Id.

[9] Id.

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