Today’s No-Normal Retirement Journey: New Resource to Map the Path to Retirement

Twenty-nine leading retirement, finance, health, and aging experts contribute to development of new Retirement Journey Map to Help People planning for and living in retirement

WASHINGTON, D.C., August 23, 2022 — Americans planning for retirement face once-in-a-generation challenges presented by today’s persistent high inflation, market volatility, economic uncertainty, and pandemic-related health care concerns. This amidst a wave of Baby Boomers retiring—10,000 a day and accelerating—that will peak in 2024 when the U.S. will have more 65-year-olds than ever in its history. It’s in this environment that Georgetown University’s AgingWell Hub has released the first No Normal Retirement Journey Map and Guide, a practical and interactive tool for re-imagining and charting paths to and through retirement.

This new resource offers individuals tools to visualize and plan the various stages, events and decision points along the retirement journey, and the personal, emotional, and financial consequences of each. The Journey Map illustrates how six primary levers—health, finances, learning, purpose, community, and resilience—can be used to navigate the journey to a happy, financially secure and fulfilled life after a full-time career.

The Retirement Journey Map was developed by the Georgetown AgingWell Hub, designed by Human Spark, and commissioned through the support of the Alliance for Lifetime Income’s Retirement Income Institute. The Journey Map draws on the expertise of twenty-nine of the world’s leading experts on life in retirement as well as a comprehensive review and integration of findings from more than 200 pieces of research on the evolving nature of retirement.

“The nature of retirement is evolving and highly personal.  It spans a non-linear path of growth and activity, such as the enjoyment of continued work, travel, volunteering, and family, through declining health and loss of independence at the end of life. The Journey Map represents various aspects of each retirement journey—the goals, decisions, emotions, and unforeseen events—with which individuals can identify,” says Jeanne de Cervens, director of the AgingWell Hub.

“The countless decisions people have to make for and in retirement has become overwhelming, and the consequences and emotional toll of each decision is often difficult to fully grasp,” says Jason Fichtner, senior fellow and head of the Retirement Income Institute. “For the first time, Americans have a simple guide to creating their own retirement journey map that considers the many critical factors that impact outcomes. Financial service providers can also use the maps and guide to help their clients and customers visualize their own retirement journey, guide financial decisions impacting the journey, and identify specific areas of products and services ripe for innovation.”

The research report’s illustrative Journey Map will provide a better understanding of the various impacts, unexpected roadblocks, and major decision-points along the journey in critical areas including finance, community, health, caregiving, housing, learning, and purpose. Users can then create personal journey maps by using the included No Normal Retirement Planning Guide as well as reference a set of resources for aging and retirement planning.

Visit www.protectedincome.org/retirementjourneymap for more information on how to access the planning guide and research report.

The AgingWell Hub
The AgingWell Hub is committed to harnessing the power of business and cross-sector collaboration to help individuals of all generations age well, with a special focus on the nexus of financial security, good health, and connected communities. For more information, please visit www.agingwellhub.org

Business for Impact
Business for Impact at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business is founded on the belief that companies can be a powerful force for good. We strive to help solve today’s most pressing issues through delivering world-class education, impactful student experience, and direct action with corporations, nonprofits, and government. Our aspiration is that Georgetown-educated leaders will be renowned for managing the triple bottom line – people, planet and profit. Learn more at https://businessforimpact.georgetown.edu. Follow us on Twitter: @GUBizforImpact.

Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business
Located at the global intersection of business, policy, and international relations in the capital of the United States, Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business draws upon its access to business, government, policy makers, nonprofits, and the diplomatic community, as well as the expertise of Georgetown’s other renowned schools, to bring an interdisciplinary and experiential approach to learning and scholarship. Rooted in Georgetown’s Jesuit tradition, the school prepares undergraduates, graduate students, and participants in customized executive education courses to become globally minded, principled leaders in service to business and society. Learn more at http://msb.georgetown.edu. Follow us on Twitter: @msbgu.

The Retirement Income Institute
The Institute seeks to shape a future in which Americans are able to retire with a more secure economic future, one with less risk and higher levels of confidence. It does that by fostering innovation and reforms that lead to actions that benefit individuals, families and society. The Institute sponsors new research and analysis – supported by data and evidence – that helps generate insights and ideas to secure Americans’ retirement through protected lifetime income. Together we are bringing some of our country’s leading scholars to collaborate with the Alliance for Lifetime Income member companies to find groundbreaking ways to tackle retirement income security in America today. Learn more at https://www.protectedincome.org/retirement-income-institute

Human Spark
Human Spark specializes in applying human-centered research and design methodologies to craft meaningful service, product, experiential and story-telling solutions that impact lives and business outcomes. Learn more at https://www.humanspark.com/

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