People are living longer than ever, and that\u2019s creating a new benefits reality.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
According to the Pew Research Center, the number of Americans aged over 100 is projected to quadruple in the next 25 years<\/a>. With \u201cretirement\u201d now potentially lasting 30-plus years, the traditional model of retiring at age 65 is increasingly obsolete, bringing a new set of challenges for employers and employees alike.<\/p>\n For employers, longevity is not just a retirement planning issue. It is a talent, productivity, and retention issue. As employees work longer, financial decisions around health care, caregiving, Social Security, equity compensation, debt, and lifetime income grow more complex. Treating financial planning as a core benefit \u2014\u00a0by integrating access to Financial Advisors and planning tools with existing benefits like retirement plans, HSAs, equity compensation, phased retirement, and caregiving support, can help employees make better day\u2011to\u2011day decisions that align with a larger, long\u2011term plan.\u00a0<\/p>\n Employees are asking for both sides of that equation: In Morgan Stanley\u2019s 2025 State of the Workplace Financial Benefits research, access to a Financial Advisor was the most valued form of retirement assistance, and nine in ten employees said they were more likely to stay<\/a> when benefits align with long\u2011term needs. When retirement feels like a multi-decade project, access to professional guidance helps employees connect today\u2019s choices to the life they\u2019re trying to fund decades from now.\u00a0<\/p>\n Embedding planning within the workplace and linking it to benefit decisions can help turn intent into action. Here are several ways employers might consider adapting to meet the evolving demands of longevity.<\/p>\n Start with Comprehensive Financial Planning\u00a0<\/p>\n Navigating decades of retirement requires more than a larger 401(k) balance.\u00a0<\/p>\n Employees need a way to coordinate income decisions (including tax-aware withdrawal strategies), healthcare and caregiving costs, and what is known as longevity risk: the potential to outlive one\u2019s savings.\u00a0 That\u2019s before factoring in estate planning, education costs, and multigenerational wealth decisions.<\/p>\n Employers can help by connecting benefits programs to comprehensive financial planning resources. Offer access to professional guidance and goal\u2011based digital planning tools, then actively connect them to the moments when employees are most likely to act: new hire onboarding, annual enrollment, promotions, equity grants, a new child, a leave of absence, or a return-to-work transition.\u00a0<\/p>\n Just as importantly, timely, plain\u2011English education can replace generic content with targeted guidance that reflects where employees actually are in life and what choices they need to make.\u00a0<\/p>\n Morgan Stanley research<\/a> shows employees value access to a Financial Advisor above all other retirement planning support, followed by goals\u2011based planning and retirement income solutions. When done well, planning moves from theory to practical decisions\u2014when to claim Social Security, how to use HSAs, how to manage equity compensation, and how to stress\u2011test income over decades.<\/p>\n Expand Healthcare and Wellness Support<\/p>\n Longer lives mean longer exposure to chronic conditions, rising medical costs, and a greater likelihood of needing care. Preventive care, mental health support, and wellness programs are all becoming essential. Deloitte estimates<\/a> that Americans currently live only 85% of their lives in good health, but with the right interventions, that number could rise to 95%\u2014adding nearly 20 healthy years to the average lifespan.<\/p>\n In a benefits context, \u201chealthy years\u201d aren\u2019t just aspirational. They often determine whether retirement is financially stable or derailed by medical costs, disrupted work, and caregiver strain. Employers can meaningfully intervene by making preventive care easy to use, treating mental health as both a human and productivity issue, and integrating wellness with financial planning. Because health and finances are deeply intertwined\u2014stress harms health, and illness creates financial shocks\u2014benefits that reduce risk on one side tend to strengthen the other, while improving wellbeing, reducing absenteeism, and supporting sustained productivity.<\/p>\n Address Long-Term Care and Caregiving Needs<\/p>\n