As the world’s population gets older, Aegon CEO Lard Friese will lay out why longevity should be embraced, and address the financial solutions needed for people to live their best lives.
He will join government, business and civil society leaders on January 18 for a special livestreamed panel discussion on longevity. The session – ‘The Economy of a Super-Ageing Society’ – takes place under the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) theme of ‘Cooperation in a Fragmented World’.
The positive aspects of longevity form the foundation of Aegon’s purpose of helping people live their best lives, a purpose that has direct correlation to the session in Davos on the world’s growing aging population.
The World Health Organization says that by 2030, one in six people in the world will be aged 60 years or over. The share of the population aged 60 and over will increase from 1 billion in 2020 to 1.4 billion. By 2050, the world’s population of people aged 60 and older will double (2.1 billion). The number of persons aged 80 years or older is expected to triple between 2020 and 2050 to reach 426 million. *
But today, many people remain underserved in financial services. Low-income earners, gig workers, ethnic minorities, women, the young, elderly, and disabled are often the most likely to experience the negative effects of climate change and inequality. For example, women live on average five years longer than men but still earn less money, thus impacting their earnings and pension plans.
Lard will talk about how Aegon and the private sector can create better financial solutions for present and future generations, and what Aegon is doing in response to the world’s demographic transformation. In Davos, Lard will highlight how positive longevity, inclusion and diversity, and sustainability present opportunities for the global community to rethink how we spend our valuable and extended time on our planet.
Fortunately, longevity is no longer seen as a financial challenge, one to be managed by our industry alone. With far-reaching implications for global economies, the demographic transition that is heralding a longer lives revolution will involve major changes for individuals, firms, organizations, and governments.
Lard will also cover the resources companies can offer their employees to stay financially resilient in an uncertain world, and the small yet actionable steps people can take (at any age) to improve their financial resilience and have a sustainable longer life, with reference to the research of the Transamerica Center of Retirement Studies.
Use this link to watch The Economy of a Super-Ageing Society panel discussion, featuring Aegon CEO Lard Friese on Wednesday, January 18 from CET 11.30-12.15.