For decades, insurance and retirement planning have focused on one primary risk: outliving your money. But that is no longer the only (or even the primary) risk keeping policyholders up at night. As they move through their 50s, 60s, and 70s, their priorities are shifting toward independence, cognitive sharpness, and physical capability.
An independent study of affluent adults 50+ reveals a clear, measurable "hidden gap"—a chasm between what policyholders are actively planning for and what the current product shelf is designed to deliver.
For carriers and product leaders, it answers three questions:
What do high-value clients actually want beyond the financial guarantees every carrier offers?
How do those priorities shift across the decades you're already serving?
Where is the opening to differentiate in an increasingly commoditized market?
61%
named declining physical ability as a top retirement concern — a fear that now significantly outweighs the fear of running out of money (43%).
68%
chose support for aging well over the non-financial benefit carriers most commonly offer today, when asked to pick one.
57% → 24%
the fear of running out of money falls dramatically as clients age — while fears about health and independence climb.
83%
say a good advisor should understand the life they want in retirement, not just the financial targets — a conversation already happening, with little to offer in response.
Inside: the full decade-by-decade shift, where the distribution channel is already ahead of the product shelf, and what it means for product design.
