As most people are getting into the #Halloween spirit this weekend, more consumers are fearful of the impact of living longer on their #retirementplanning strategies. According to World Data Lab, global life expectancy rose from roughly 48 years in 1960 to 74 in 2026.

Here’s some more scary statistics. U.S. life expectancy stands at 79.5 years – rebounding steadily from past pandemic lows. Projections show the U.S. will have more people aged 65 and older than under 18 by 2034. The 60+ population is now growing more than three times faster than the overall global population, according to the World Data Lab article.

Where is AIP Marketing Alliance, an Integrity Company, going with these statistics this month? People are living longer and are planning to spend their hard-earned retirement dollars on what they want, when they want, and how they want. It’s the American Dream to some people.

However, Halloween has taught consumers to expect the unexpected through horror movies, and most people are not prepared for unanticipated, life-changing events. Jason Voorhees from the Friday the 13th series usually doesn’t announce his arrival with pageantry and a catchy punchline like Freddy Krueger does in A Nightmare on Elm Street.

Like in the above movies, no one knows when “that day” will happen. We only understand it will happen sooner or later. In the back of our minds, it’s there and reminders happen every time a loved one passes away. Sometimes, we have choices. Sometimes, we don’t. Sometimes, our loved ones are placed into difficult situations where they must make the choices for us. Sometimes, it’s not Jason or Freddy – it’s something else we didn’t see coming.

November is Long-Term Care Insurance Awareness Month, and AIPMA reminds financial professionals to have the #LTC conversation with their clients and prospects. During this month (and year-round), AIP Marketing Alliance encourages independent agents to explain how long-term care insurance (LTCi) could provide protection for clients and their loved ones.

AIPMA then segues into statistics that could frighten most people more than Terrifier’s Art the Clown.

• 70% of people turning 65 today will need some form of long-term care & 20% of today’s 65-year-olds will need LTC for longer than five years (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services)
• About 63 million Americans (18% of the population) provide care for a loved one, and the number of family caregivers has increased by 45% during the past decade (OneAmerica Financial)
• Care does not come cheap: 2026 long-term care costs range from $25,441 per year for adult day care to $133,462 annually for a private room in a nursing home (2026 CareScout Cost of Care Survey)

According to LIMRA’s Consumer Perspective on Combination Products study, 63% of consumers say they definitely or probably need LTC-focused insurance products. As more consumers seek solutions to ease the financial burden of LTC events, interest in life insurance and annuity products that offer such long-term care protection continues to grow.

To help AIPMA’s downline independent agencies and agents, our marketing team has created LTCi Awareness Month campaigns to educate and start conversations with consumers throughout November. These social media and email campaigns focus on protection by leveraging industry statistics and compliant materials to educate people about long-term care insurance.

Not to strike more fear into this conversation, but most consumers do not know that Medicare and Medicaid offer limited to almost no assistance for long-term care. In that same breath, LTC costs continue to rise and are outpacing inflation (LIMRA). If you toss in the recent online conversations about the “sandwich generation”, families are struggling to provide the personal support and time needed for caregiving an elder parent. LTC seems to have a lot of moving parts right now.

Long-term care insurance can help them in various ways: protecting loved ones from their financial burdens of LTC expenses; choosing care options vs. settling for a budget-friendly alternative; potential asset growth through hybrid products; and earmarking LTC insurance vs. withdrawals from retirement accounts.

Carriers also understand the long-term care needs of consumers as they continue to evolve products from standalone LTC policies to more hybrid life insurance options. AIPMA also is contracted with carriers who have annuity products with LTC provisions for those who don’t qualify for life insurance.

You can request AIP Marketing Alliance’s Long-Term Care Insurance Awareness Month resources by contacting our marketing team at marketing@aipma.com. We hope these materials educate your clients and prospects, alleviate some of their fears, and maybe even start conversations about adding long-term care protection into their retirement planning strategy. Happy Halloween!

We are #TheRightMIXin26 for independent insurance wholesalers and agents. For more than 40 years, AIP Marketing Alliance (AIPMA), an Integrity Company, serves as a premier life insurance and annuity distribution partner to provide full-service support to independent wholesalers, brokerages and agents from our Troy, Michigan office. NOT AFFILIATED WITH OR ENDORSED BY THE GOVERNMENT OR THE MEDICARE PROGRAM.

AIP Marketing Alliance is committed to supporting our independent insurance wholesalers and agents. Visit our blog on aipma.com to stay informed on these upcoming launches and learn why wholesalers nationwide choose AIPMA as their distributor for selling life insurance, annuities, long-term care insurance, final expense, and much more. Ask about lead programs, access to IntegrityCONNECT’s technology, myAIP CRM platform with customizable recruiter portal, and online tools/resources designed to grow your business. The difference is personal.

AIP Marketing Alliance, an Integrity Company, has developed this electronic communication for informational and educational use only. Be advised, AIP Marketing Alliance, Inc., does not provide legal advice, tax advice, or guidance on issues involving securities laws, insurance laws nor securities or insurance regulations. This material should not be relied on as providing any such advice or guidance to either agents or retail consumers. Within this communication, AIPMA shares links for usage as information only. This content should not be interpreted as solicitation to purchase life insurance, annuities, or other products or as advice designed to meet your clients’ specific needs. Content involving fiduciary, tax, or legal advice should be directed to your legal, tax, and financial professionals for specific advice or product recommendations. AIPMA will not accept any legal liability resulting from any use of 3rd party material(s).