It would be nice to have a crystal ball to tell us how long we need to plan for in retirement, but the truth is that none of us know for sure. What we do know is that we’re all living longer these days, and the last thing that we want is to run out of money in retirement.
Our Longevity Calculator can help give you an indication of how long you may live, based on your age and the quality of your health. It’s based on complex data from the UK Pensions Industry* – but it’s important to know that your results aren’t set in stone – they are just an indication of how long you may live.
These definitions will help you:
Good health – might mean that you are generally in good health, don’t smoke, are a healthy weight, that you look after your health and that you aren’t on any prescribed medication to help control specific conditions.
Average health – might mean that your health isn’t perfect, but you aren’t suffering from any serious long-term illness. Typical things that might put you in this group would be that you are slightly overweight, and/or you are suffering from high blood pressure or high cholesterol and you may be taking medication for these conditions.
Poor health – might mean that you have had a more serious illness or risk factor. For example, you may have had cancer or previously suffered from a heart attack or stroke or you may have a condition that is difficult to manage like diabetes.
*The Continuous Mortality Investigation (2015)