0.0173% of Americans live to 100

[VanWinkle]

KG, you're quite young to have these thoughts as much as you describe. Especially the use of "black and dark space", and "often".

Oh and for the smoker(s), the CDC says subtract 10 years unless you quit by 40, in which case you're probably back to 100%. I'm sure there's a sliding scale for quitting later, you can google that easily enough.

We all know smoking is not good for longevity, but the oldest person documented was 122 when she died and smoked until she was 117. Even common knowledge is sometimes debunked by circumstances. Of course maybe she would have lived to 132 had she not smoked.

 

[Out of Steam]

How does/would the "50/50 chance of living to 85" assumption materially affect your planning?
And, is that for more than one person?

It is for a couple, though we suspect I will be the longer-lived one. As for practical effects, it means that my figuring is based on a 30 year retirement starting at 60, not 35 years or more.

 

[mountainsoft]

Does anyone ever get sad thinking about passing on?

I don't get sad about dying, but these days my limited lifespan crosses my mind more than it used to.

As some point during my youth I got this idea in my head that I was going to live to be 75. I guess that seemed old when I was a kid. For some reason that imaginary "death date" has been in my mind most of my life. Of course, I'm turning 55 this year and the thought that I could only have 20 years left is just weird. I don't feel "old" yet.

My dad died at 51 and my grandparents all died in their 60's or early 70's. Unfortunately, living to 100 doesn't appear to be in my genes.

I think back 20 years and it has gone by in a blink. So it can be a little scary to think how quickly the next 20 years will go by. There's so much I still want to see and do.

Who knows, maybe I'll be the exception in my family. Sure, I'm already feeling more aches than I used to, and I can tell I'm slowing down a bit. But I am in good health, don't take any medications, eat well and enjoy life. I'm aiming for 85 or 90, if for no other reason than to prove my younger self wrong.

 

[garyt]

I was reading at Genealogyintime.com that according to the most recent census, a very small % of Americans live to 100. I think we all assumed the number was small, but I was surprised at how small. Then I started thinking of all of the planning that is done to supply retirement income to the age of 95(30 years from age 65 with 4% withdrawal). Do you think the number is that much larger that live to 95? Planning for age 95 seems a little like overkill when planning for income after seeing the statistics. I am conservative, but I am thinking a deferred annuity at age 85 might be a lost cause for a high percentage of the population.

VW

Don't do it often, but every now and then when I read the obituaries I'm amazed at the number of people who made it to the mid 90's. In my very unscientific view it seems like 93-94 is the top end. 95 and up is still very rare.

 

[garyt]

We live in an area with an abundance elderly residents. Many of them should not be on the road but they are. In recent years we've had a trifecta of pharmacies / elderly driver car collisions. The drivers park out front and forget to put the car into reverse before stepping on the gas or mix up the gas and brake pedals.

But the oldest driver actually seems to be a pretty good driver. We know people who have driven with him recently and said he's amazing.

Which makes the development of driverless cars as one of the best inventions to increase quality of life for seniors. May or may not happen in my lifetime (I'm 60)

 

[RunningBum]

Don't do it often, but every now and then when I read the obituaries I'm amazed at the number of people who made it to the mid 90's. In my very unscientific view it seems like 93-94 is the top end. 95 and up is still very rare.

I don't look at obits, but we usually get notices/obits in our community for members who have been here for quite awhile. The last one I saw, earlier this month, was for a guy who died at 95. I know of a 96 yr old up here. But there were a couple others who were still skiing into their very late 80s, maybe even 90, and I thought both were candidates to make it to 100, but they only made it to 91 and 93.

 

[mountainsoft]

when I read the obituaries I'm amazed at the number of people who made it to the mid 90's.

The RSS news feed for my local newspaper includes obituaries. Like you, I see quite a few people making it to their 90's. On the other hand, it's a bit eye opening to see how many people die in their 50's and 60's, some even younger. I'm just thankful for each day I wake up.

 

[Dtail]

The RSS news feed for my local newspaper includes obituaries. Like you, I see quite a few people making it to their 90's. On the other hand, it's a bit eye opening to see how many people die in their 50's and 60's, some even younger. I'm just thankful for each day I wake up.

Amen. When questioned about ER, I usually refer to how many people pass in their 50's/60's.
I thank god every morning first thing for letting me live another day.

 

[Independent]

I was reading at Genealogyintime.com that according to the most recent census, a very small % of Americans live to 100.

As others have pointed out, the Geneologyintime article really messes up the statistic.

The correct wording is "Only 0.0173% of people living in the US in 2010 were about 100.

That says virtually nothing about the odds of a 60 year old, in normal good health, living to 100.

The size of the error is remarkable. Here's a hypothetical.

Suppose in Utoplandia, 100% of newborns live more than 100 years. In fact, they all die on their 105th birthday.

If births had been perfectly level for the past 105 years, then only 4.8% of the population would be over age 100, in spite of the fact that 100% of the babies born 100 years ago are still alive.

Now suppose births had increased at 2% per year. In that case, only 1.5% of the population would be over 100, in spite of the fact that 100% of the babies born 100 years ago are still alive.

 

[Sojourner]

Don't do it often, but every now and then when I read the obituaries I'm amazed at the number of people who made it to the mid 90's. In my very unscientific view it seems like 93-94 is the top end. 95 and up is still very rare.

That's pretty much how I see it, too, based on my direct observations. I've personally known or been acquainted with only 3 people in my entire life who lived into their late 90s. Two were great-grandparents and one is a neighbor. Of those three, two had fairly awful, depressing end-of-life situations that I wouldn't wish on anyone. The other (still living) seems quite cogent and generally healthy, yet frail and entirely sedentary. I've never known or met a single person who made it to 98 or beyond.

 

[Letj]

I think back 20 years and it has gone by in a blink. So it can be a little scary to think how quickly the next 20 years will go by. There's so much I still want to see and do.

That! Plus the futility of it all. Despite everything we want to see and do, in the end it makes no difference whether you do it or not.

 

[stepford]

That! Plus the futility of it all. Despite everything we want to see and do, in the end it makes no difference whether you do it or not.

Embrace the futility - it really takes the pressure off. We get to play around and enjoy ourselves for a while. Then we don't, for a lot longer while.

 

[gerntz]

I was reading at Genealogyintime.com that according to the most recent census, a very small % of Americans live to 100. I think we all assumed the number was small, but I was surprised at how small. Then I started thinking of all of the planning that is done to supply retirement income to the age of 95(30 years from age 65 with 4% withdrawal). Do you think the number is that much larger that live to 95? Planning for age 95 seems a little like overkill when planning for income after seeing the statistics. I am conservative, but I am thinking a deferred annuity at age 85 might be a lost cause for a high percentage of the population.

VW

I bet it's a lot higher for those Americans that are 70 now.

 

[Totoro]

Embrace the futility - it really takes the pressure off. We get to play around and enjoy ourselves for a while. Then we don't, for a lot longer while.

Two-edged.

Fully embracing nothingness and futility can bring joyful lightness, but also despair, lethargy and panic. If nothing matters, it is hard to rationalize getting out of bed at all sometimes and/or acting like a 'decent' human being. At least in my experience.

That's why pretending stuff matters is sometimes more useful. A warm fuzzy blanket to get you through life.