Welcome to the Actuaries Longevity Illustrator
Why Longevity?
Financing your retirement can be complicated, and there are many factors that must be taken into account. One of the most important factors, which is sometimes misunderstood, is longevity—that is, how long you might live. This is different from your life expectancy, which is how long an individual of your age, gender, and health would be anticipated, on average, to live.
R. Dale Hall, FSA, MAAA, CERA, managing director of research for the SOA Research Institute discusses longevity and demonstrates the Actuaries Longevity Illustrator in a PBS Be Smart segment.
There is a significant chance that you will live for many years beyond the average, and you should consider this possibility when thinking about your retirement. The Actuaries Longevity Illustrator (“ALI”) has been developed as an educational tool by the American Academy of Actuaries and the Society of Actuaries to help you gauge what those chances are. Reflecting on your longevity will allow you to consider the risks of outliving your financial resources, i.e., the chance of running out of money during your lifetime, which we refer to as retiree financial longevity risk . The ALI helps you to consider those risks by letting you see how long you might live. Take a look. You might be surprised by the results!
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If your retirement plans involve two people, the considerations become even more complex. The ALI addresses two crucial concerns: “How long can we expect to live as a couple?” and “By how many years might one of us outlive the other?”
How it works
With information you provide based on a few questions about your health, smoking habits, and demographic characteristics, the ALI will produce tables and graphs showing the likelihood that you (and your spouse/partner, if applicable) may live to certain ages. In addition, the ALI provides information on the number of future years that you might expect to live, as opposed to living to certain ages. The tables and graphs can be used to help you understand your potential retiree financial longevity risk.
How This Tool Works
1. Answer Questions
Answer a few simple questions about you and your spouse or partner, if applicable.
2. Calculate
This tool calculates probabilities that you (and your spouse or partner, if applicable) may live to different ages.
3. View Results
Results are displayed in tables and graphs that can help you understand your potential risk of running out of money in retirement.