As I finish out the year, I will focus on a number of promising initiatives, while providing my take on what this means for Boomers like you and me. In the meantime, meet the first of several experts on this topic. I hope you enjoy their message as much as I did.
- This Chair Rocks by Ashton Applewhite Applewhite is an author, activist, and champion on fighting ageism and debunking stereotypes. Her provocative book and her talks are knowledgeable and straight-talking. Here’s a TedTalk Link: https://www.ted.com/talks/ashton_applewhite_let_s_end_ageism
- The Third Act is a project that looks at how human longevity is having profound effects on the world we live in. Learn about the “The Third Act” from Dr. Edward Kelly, the founder https://youtu.be/QwOExhl5mrg.
- Another famous spokesperson you will recognize is the actress Jane Fonda who recently spoke on Life’s Third Act. https://www.ted.com/talks/jane_fonda_life_s_third_act?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare
The Third Act provided these longevity facts:
- We are currently living 25-30 years longer than our great-grandparents, the equivalent of a whole new adult lifetime.i
- Advances in human longevity have been described as the greatest social achievement of the past 100 years.
- More years have been added to life expectancy in the last 100 years than all of the previous millennia of mankind combined.
- We are currently adding two and a half years in longevity per decade, that’s three months a year or six hours a day.
- ‘Average’ life expectancy in the developed world is now 80 years; 81 years in Ireland and forecast to rise at current rates to over 90 by 2050.
- Most children born today in the developed world can expect to celebrate their 100th birthdays.
- If you are 60 today you have a 50% chance of living to 90.
- Third-actors are now the fastest-growing segment of the population.
- By 2050 there will be 2 billion people over 60, that’s 22% of the population. In Japan, 40% of the population will be over 60.
- 70% of retirees say they want to continue working; 50% to re-invent themselves and the other 50% want to stay in their chosen field but work more flexibly.
- In the US at least, there are now more entrepreneurs coming from the 55-65 age bracket than from the 25-35 age bracket.
- Older entrepreneurs (55+) have a 70% success rate compared to younger entrepreneurs (under 30) with a 28% success rate.
- Over 55’s working longer could increase Ireland’s GDP by €15b.
- The gap in retirement in savings, due to increases in longevity, is reaching crisis point and has been described as the financial equivalent of climate change (Michael Dresler, WEF)
All I can say is WOW! How about you?
