Longevity Risk

Longevity Risk

The risk that an individual will outlive his/her retirement savings. For example, if one's retirement consists of personal savings and a fixed-term annuity, the possibility exists that the money will run out before one dies. The risk is especially large if one has health problems in one's old age. One may mitigate longevity risk in a number of ways. For example, one may purchase investment vehicles such as a lifetime annuity, which guarantees payments for the remainder of one's life, or longevity insurance, which provides a lump sum benefit if one lives to a certain age.