Rapidly changing retirements: Why longevity and diversification should be front of mind

Asset Preservation Wealth & Tax explains why retirement planning today is not as one-size-fits-all as it used to be.

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BY ASSET PRESERVATION WEALTH & TAX

Jun 26, 2026, 1:03 AM

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How you should plan for retirement can change based on factors ranging from longer lifespans to geopolitical tensions and anywhere in between.

Those are just a few reasons why the traditional path of working into your 60s before you stop working entirely is all but dead and gone, according to wealth strategist and president of Asset Preservation Wealth & Tax Stuart Willis and Asset Preservation Hour co-host Spike Spengel.

And because retirees’ situations can differ as much as the factors that impact them, one-size-fits-all plans are dead with it.

Rising trend of ‘half-retirement’

One way people are going about things differently is by keeping a side occupation that wasn’t their main profession in order to keep some of the social aspects of a job. Willis used one example of some friends at Honeywell in the Valley.

“Oftentimes, people retire early and then they get bored,” Willis said. “They build camaraderie with their buddies at the shop, right, their coworkers. … When all of a sudden you retire and you’re not around your buddies anymore, it gets lonely.”

The added occupation helps not only the social aspects, but also to reinforce “longevity retirement,” which is becoming more important as life expectancies extend. The number of people who live to 100 years old has tripled since 1990, Willis cited.

Long-term stability should be a priority

Diversification is not just about having different stocks. It’s also about those assets spanning fundamentally different categories.

Fixed assets, such as insurance, are examples of how to find better protection. It’s no longer as simple as putting everything into bonds, which Willis said “has gone the way of the dodo bird.”

Annuities, for example, have seen their stock rise as interest rates do, although those require careful precision, situational fit and timing as well.

The team at Asset Preservation Wealth & Tax offers a look at your portfolio to get your retirement planned out to fit your situation. Claim a free review online or call 877-573-8473 for more information.

The Asset Preservation Hour Podcast airs Sundays from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. on 92.3 FM.