I’m intrigued by how society, and businesses in particular, look at aging.  I see friends and business colleagues who are defying traditional models of how “old people” are supposed to behave and act.  They are in Acts III and IV of their lives and are loving it.

So, it was with keen interest that I started reading The Longevity Economy by Dr. Joseph Coughlin, Founder and Director of the MIT AgeLab, and found a narrative that shares powerful insights into what people of my generation (and older) want.  His research sheds light on a growing older market – a very diverse group, but worth about $8 trillion in the US alone (and getting wealthier with each passing day).  He challenges commonly held beliefs/myths about older people and their preferences as they contemplate living longer than previous generations.   He spends a lot of time discussing women and the role they play in defining/transforming the longevity economy (they are likely to outlive men, and tend to control household spending, finances and choices about where to live and what to do in retirement.)

What Dr. Coughlin and other researchers suggest to me is that we are on the cusp of significant societal change driven in part by longer lifespans.   Like all transformative events, longer lifespans create new opportunities for serving this population, and also challenges for how we will plan for and as importantly, save money for a longer life span.  Outliving our assets is a real fear and affects our outlook on longer life spans.  On that note, I’m going to check my Amazing Care Network savings account and see how my stash of savings is growing!   Like many of my friends, I want to live a long and productive life, but NOT be financially dependent on my family and friends.

Here’s to your growing network!

~ Cora, CEO and Founder

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