A New Year, A Different Kind of Planning
Why Retirement in 2026 Is No Longer a Solo Journey
By Carroll S. Golden, CLU, ChFC, CLTC, CASL, LECP, FLMI, LACP
Author of Leading in the New Retirement Era and How Not to Pull Your Family Apart
January invites reflection.
Resolutions, yes—but also something softer. The kind of reflection rooted in love. In care.
In the quiet knowing that what matters most… isn’t just ours to hold alone anymore.
More and more families are waking up to the truth that lingers behind the spreadsheets:
Longevity has changed the shape of retirement.
It has pulled retirement out of the singular and into the shared.
Out of the silo and into the circle.
Where it once felt like a finish line, it now feels like a family story unfolding. Messy. Emotional. Unscripted. But also deeply human, and—if we’re willing to see it—deeply beautiful.
The New Shape of Retirement: Forged by Longevity
We’ve been taught to think of retirement as a finish line—a final reward for a life of work. But that version is gone.
Longevity has reshaped everything.
Today, retirement unfolds in three quiet chapters:
The Go-Go Years – full of activity, purpose, and freedom.
The Slow-Go Years – when routines shift, and health starts to whisper.
The No-Go Years – where care becomes the center of everything.
Most plans only account for the first. But life keeps unfolding.
Aging isn’t a solo act.
It’s a widening circle—of family, of responsibility, of love.
If we only prepare for independence, we’re not really prepared at all. Because the new retirement isn’t just about money, it’s about caregiving. Community. Conversations. It’s about learning how to live longer… together.
A Shift in the Room
James had worked with Mr. Whitmore for years. Their meetings were predictable, like clockwork. Numbers. Performance. Projections. No fuss. No surprises.
Until the day Mr. Whitmore walked in with his adult children, Sarah and Bryan.
James felt it before anyone said a word. The energy had changed. This was no longer just about investments. It was about lives intersecting.
After a few polite moments, Mr. Whitmore asked for a private word. That’s when he shared what he could no longer hide: an Alzheimer’s diagnosis.
James felt the ground shift beneath him. Out in the conference room, Sarah and Bryan were holding a truth of their own.
“We have questions,” Bryan said.
“About care. About the house. About what this means for all of us.”
“No one told us what to expect,” Sarah added quietly.
“What’s covered. What’s not? How long can we do this before we burn out—or Dad’s finances do?”
And then came the words that Sarah would never forget:
“I read about this Shadow Caregiving System™ in a book someone gave me—How Not to Pull Your Family Apart.
I didn’t think it applied to us.
But now?
I’m living it.”
That moment changed everything.
For James. For Mr. Whitmore. And for the family who now stands on the edge of a new, uncertain chapter—together.
When Healthcare Moves in with Retirement
Here’s what so many families are learning—often the hard way:
Longevity doesn’t arrive alone.
It brings with it care needs, emotional complexity, shifting roles, and unexpected costs.
And it’s reshaping households in quiet, powerful ways:
Parents moving in with children.
Children stepping in as caregivers.
Siblings navigating roles they never talked about.
Advisors witnessing financial plans bend under the weight of unspoken needs.
New Research tells us:
A quarter of adults 85+ now live in multigenerational homes.
Over 22% of adults 65+ live with extended family.
And more than half don’t live with a spouse.
These aren’t rare stories.
They’re your stories.
Your neighbors’.
Your friends’.
And possibly… your own.
A Different Kind of Readiness
We’ve been taught to prepare for retirement by calculating a number.
A target. A timeline.
But what if the real measure of readiness isn’t in a balance sheet—but in our ability to care, connect, and adapt?
What if the real plan includes:
The adult child who now picks up prescriptions.
The spouse watching memory fade like morning fog.
The friend who steps in with meals and support—and no official role at all.
This is what James came to understand:
Retirement isn’t just a financial milestone. It’s a relational transformation.
It’s not just about what you’ve saved. It’s about who shows up when life starts to shift.
From Loneliness to Literacy
Inspired by what he experienced, James and his partner, Nicole, began hosting Longevity Literacy Gatherings™—safe, honest circles where families come together.
These gatherings aren’t lectures. They’re lifelines.
They open space for real conversations.
They give language to feelings we often bury.
They offer knowledge, tools, community, and gentle planning—not pressure.
And most importantly: They remind people that they’re not alone. Because no one should have to navigate this complex chapter in silence or shame.
The Triple Transfer
You’ve heard of the Great Wealth Transfer—an estimated $124 trillion passing from Baby Boomers to younger generations. But that’s only part of the story.
Two other transfers are happening in parallel:
1. The Great Responsibility Transfer
Unspoken. Emotional. Overwhelming. Caregiving isn’t just a task—it’s a transfer of time, energy, and identity.
2. The Great Stuff Transfer
Homes, heirlooms, and decades of objects that carry meaning, but not always relevance.
A legacy that can feel more like a burden than a gift.
Together with the Great Wealth Transfer, these three transitions are shaping family dynamics—and challenging every plan built without them in mind.
Planning in the New Era
Later, advisor James met with Martha—a widow, independent, confident in her financial plan.
But when he asked, “Who else is in your world?” The real story emerged.
A grandson who needed support. A sister-in-law who moved in “just for now.” Two adult children trying to help from afar.
Martha didn’t just need a retirement plan. She needed someone who could map her orbit.
Who could see the invisible forces shaping her days. Who could build a plan around her real life—not just the numbers.
A New Kind of Plan for a New Kind of Year
So, as we step into a new year, ask yourself:
Who else is quietly holding pieces of your future?
Who might you be holding pieces for?
And is your plan built to honor those connections—not just your finances, but your full, beautiful, complicated life?
Because this isn’t just about surviving retirement.
It’s about loving through it.
Caring through it.
Planning in a way that honors what matters most.
Not just your portfolio.
But your people.
The ones you care for.
The ones who will carry on.
The ones who hold your legacy—whether or not they have your last name.
Carroll S. Golden, CLU, ChFC, CLTC, CASL, LECP, FLMI, LACP, is Executive Director of the NAIFA Centers of Excellence and author of Leading in the New Retirement Era and How Not to Pull Your Family Apart. She speaks and writes about caregiving, longevity, and family planning with clarity, compassion, and soul.
📘 This blog builds on themes from my book, Leading in a New Retirement Era: How to Lead, Adapt, and Win in an AI-Driven World. It’s not about creating a one-size-fits-all retirement—it’s about understanding your influences, your finances, and your future so your plan is truly yours.
Disclaimer: This material does not constitute tax, legal, investment, or accounting advice and is not intended for use by a taxpayer for the purposes of avoiding any IRS penalty. Comments on taxation are based on tax law current as of the time this article was produced.
