August 2025

Extending Healthspans in an Aging World

By Stephen P. Utkus & Olivia S. Mitchell Extensions in human longevity are prompting a growing interest in maximizing healthspan, or the number of years of life unencumbered by the chronic diseases of old age. This chapter reviews recent research on healthy life extension, including several measures and determinants of longer healthspans. We also provide an overview of recent efforts by medical and business enterprises to enhance longevity and healthspan, followed by a discussion of policy and workplace options to...

July 2025

Population Aging and Financial Stability: An Empirical Analysis

By Hun Jang This study empirically examines the impact of population aging on financial stability. Constructing an unbalanced panel of 7,148 banks across 38 OECD countries over 27 years, we find that deeper demographic aging undermines banks’ capital adequacy and lowers their Z-Scores, thereby exerting a negative effect on financial stability. These adverse effects arise because slower growth, higher interest-expense burdens, and compressed net interest margins erode profitability, prompting banks to loosen risk standards in an effort to offset mounting...

Global Aging and Growth: Is There a Silver Dividend?

By Donghyun Park & Kwanho Shin Despite concerns about the economic impact of population aging, this study highlights the potential for a 'silver dividend' as longer lifespans extend working lives. We show that the effects of aging on growth are highly nonlinear and concentrated in more advanced, older economies. Labor shortages are often offset by rising labor force participation, particularly in countries with higher life expectancy, stronger human capital, and greater trade openness. Larger governments, measured by consumption, appear to...

June 2025

LGBTQ+ Aging and Retirement Issues: A Critical Review of Current Studies and Knowledge Gaps

By Julie Duda, Bri Bloxsom & Manshreya Grover This paper presents a detailed review of select studies on the experiences and challenges faced by LGBTQ+ older adults, particularly in the context of aging and retirement. Through a systematic analysis of fourteen studies, this review aims to provide a nuanced understanding of the issues encountered by this population, highlighting key themes including discrimination, healthcare access, social support, resilience, end-of-life preparation, and mental health. There exists a broad body of scholarly work that has shed light on...

Iridescent Life Course: LGBTQ Aging Research and Blueprint for the Future – A Systematic Review

By Karen I. Fredriksen Goldsen, Sarah Jen & Anna Muraco  LGBTQ* (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer) older adults are demographically diverse and growing populations. In an earlier 25-year review of the literature on sexual orientation and aging, we identified four waves of research that addressed dispelling negative stereotypes, psychosocial adjustment to aging, identity development, and social and community-based support in the lives of LGBTQ older adults.  The current review was designed to develop an evidence base for the field...

LGBT Older Adults: Chosen Family and Caregiving

By Nancy J. Knauer In the United States, informal eldercare is principally the responsibility of younger relatives. Adult children perform the majority of eldercare and nonrelatives perform only fourteen percent of care. Caregiving in the LGBT community follows a very different pattern that reflects the importance of “chosen family” in the lives of LGBT older adults. Instead of relying on relatives, LGBT older adults largely care for each other. Relatives provide only eleven percent of all eldercare. This article explores the...

Midlife Satisfaction Disparities by Sexual Orientation: Findings from the Health and Retirement Study

By Wenhua Lai, Ning Hsieh & Hui Liu Midlife is a pivotal stage shaping healthy aging, and sexual minorities may face more challenges in midlife than heterosexual individuals, due to cumulative social, economic, and health disadvantages. Yet, few studies have examined how life satisfaction in midlife varies by sexual identity. Using data from the 2016 Health and Retirement Study (N = 3,630), we conducted logit regressions and Karlson-Holm-Breen (KHB) decomposition analysis to examine how health-related, socioeconomic, and sociopsychological factors contribute to disparities...

Aging and Retirement Issues for LGBTQ+ People

By Society of Actuaries Research Institute The Society of Actuaries (SOA) Research Institute Aging and Retirement Strategic Research Program in collaboration with the Sexuality and Gender Alliance of Actuaries (SAGAA) is pleased to present this collection of essays that explore aging and retirement issues for LGBTQ+ people. This collection continues the Program’s dedicated effort to further advance the SOA’s organization-wide Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiative. This includes its 2021 companion essay collection on aging and retirement issues for people of different races and ethnicities. Our...

Transgender seniors worry about retirement, old age amid wave of anti-trans legislation

By Andrew DeMillo, Lynne Sladky & Laura Bargfeld Rajee Narinesingh faced struggles throughout her life as a transgender woman, from workplace discrimination to the lasting effects of black market injections that scarred her face and caused chronic infections. In spite of the roadblocks, the 56-year-old Florida actress and activist has seen growing acceptance since she first came out decades ago. “If you see older transgender people, it shows the younger community that it’s possible I can have a life. I can live...

Patterns of LGBTQ+ Patient Experiences and Receipt of Preventive Care in Midlife and Older Age: A Latent Class Analysis

By Nathaniel M. Tran, Tara McKay, Gilbert Gonzales, Carrie Fry & Stacie B. Dusetzina Introduction: Understanding how LGBTQ+ patient experiences vary and are associated with receipt of preventive services may help reduce disparities between LGBTQ+ and non-LGBTQ+ populations. Objective: (1) To identify latent classes of LGBTQ+ patient experiences using seven indicators of clinical and cultural competence, (2) to identify sociodemographic characteristics associated with class membership, and (3) to evaluate the relationship between class membership and receipt of preventive care. Methods: 954 LGBTQ+...