Planning for 100-year lives: How fintech can reshape wealth for the longevity economy

We are living through a global demographic shift. By 2050, one in six people worldwide will be over the age of 65, up from one in 11 in 2019, according to the United Nations.

Living to 80, 90 or beyond is fast becoming the norm, raising a pressing question: how can people remain financially secure across longer life spans?

For decades, financial planning has focused on a handful of predictable goals – buying a home, funding education and retiring around 65. But this model no longer fits. Retirement can span 30 years, straining pension systems built for shorter lifespans.

According to a 2019 World Economic Forum report, retirees in several major economies are on track to outlive their savings by eight to nearly 20 years on average. Meanwhile, defined-contribution plans have replaced traditional pensions, transferring financial risk to individuals who often lack the tools and knowledge to manage it.

Two-thirds of adults globally lack basic financial literacy, according to S&P Global.

Traditional life paths – education, career, retirement – no longer reflect how people live. Multiple careers, caregiving and sabbaticals are now common. In a world of volatile income streams, freelance employment, and career breaks, financial planning must evolve.

Individuals need tools that are personalized, portable and resilient, not just for retirement but for a 100-year life. This is why the concept of “life-stage financial planning,” which emphasizes ongoing adaptation rather than static milestones, is gaining traction.

But for all its appeal, our systems and mindsets remain anchored to a model that no longer holds. Our existing tools were designed for a world where retirement lasted 15 years, not 30.

To turn longer lives into an opportunity, we must rethink the way people build and sustain wealth over time.

Innovations are already reshaping what’s possible. Their ability to scale quickly, personalize services through data and embed financial tools into users’ daily digital routines makes them powerful drivers of financial resilience.

Technology – whether in banks, pensions or platforms – is helping institutions serve people navigating longer, more varied lives.

Digital tools, such as robo-advisors and AI-driven financial coaches, are already reshaping how people plan, save and adapt to longer lifespans. According to Grand View Research, the global robo-advisory market is projected to reach $41.8 billion by 2030, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 30.5% from 2024 to 2030, a signal that advisory capabilities are becoming more responsive and democratized.

Behavioural nudges also play a decisive role in shaping long-term financial behaviour. These include features such as auto-enrolment into savings programmes, automatic escalation of contributions, real-time reminders after large purchases, savings goal prompts tied to life events and gamified progress dashboards.

Vanguard data shows that automatically enrolled employees have a 94% participation rate, compared to 67% under voluntary schemes.

For retirees and near-retirees, digital tools are improving income planning. Dynamic withdrawal strategies, such as guardrails, market-based spending rules and annuity ladders, allow for greater adaptability and sustainability than static formulas.

These approaches align income with both longevity and market risk, ensuring retirees can draw down their wealth in ways that reflect real-world volatility and life-stage transitions. Flexible withdrawal strategies enable retirees to adjust their spending according to market performance and personal needs, resulting in a higher lifetime income with comparable or better portfolio sustainability.

They allow individuals to modulate their income based on changing needs, such as caregiving, part-time work or health expenses, offering far more resilience than fixed withdrawal methods.

Equally significant, financial services players are opening access to asset classes once reserved for institutions, in part thanks to a more agile underlying infrastructure. Cerulli Associates reports that alternative investment providers currently estimate that 13% of their assets under management come from the retail channel.

This figure is expected to increase to 23% by 2027, indicating a shift toward retail participation in alternative assets, such as private equity and real estate.

In short, technology is not the disruptor of the longevity economy; it is the bridge. It connects legacy systems with modern needs, supporting long-term resilience.

It’s one thing for the solutions to exist, it’s another for them to reach the people who need them most. Potential is only the first step; real impact depends on what we build around it.

As highlighted in the Forum’s report Future-Proofing the Longevity Economy, tackling the financial challenges of longer lives requires system-wide collaboration across public and private sectors to ensure that financial resilience is accessible, inclusive and sustainable.

Realizing the promise of longevity requires collaboration among fintechs, banks, employers and policymakers.

Governments must foster long-term security through smart regulation, savings incentives and protections for ageing populations. Employers can embed tools into payroll, benefits and employee transitions. Schools and universities can normalize financial literacy early, laying the groundwork for lifelong financial confidence.

Fintechs must help shape ecosystems that support lifelong resilience. That means intuitive tools, built-in nudges and modular planning for life events such as caregiving or career shifts. Access must also be expanded, with platforms democratizing entry to alternative assets and decumulation strategies without overwhelming users.

Meanwhile, financial institutions, established and emerging, can collaborate to build tools that are modular, interoperable and attuned to life’s real rhythms. That means designing systems that adjust to caregiving, mobility or phased retirement.

Behavioural design should be the default, not the add-on, nudging better decisions without demanding constant vigilance. Access must be broadened through intuitive design that works across ages, cultures and financial levels.

The longevity economy is already here. Longer lives also need to become better lives, not by reinventing the system but by bridging its parts.

Fintech platforms can offer the agility and digital reach needed to deliver innovation quickly, while traditional players can bring scale, trust and regulatory integration.

Together, they can co-create the architecture of resilience: one that enables people to build, preserve and grow their wealth throughout a 100-year life.