Latest CDC Report Shows Positive Trend in Life Expenctancy

You might want to go ahead and add that extra something to your "Bucket List." Why? Well, according to the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics’ preliminary death statistics for 2009, your life expectancy has increased by one tenth of a percent! That might not seem like a lot, but it just may be one more visit with the grandkids or that last cruise to the Caribbean. It’s also indicative of a very positive trend of declining death rates in the United States that has been continuing for the last ten years.

The study, the results of which were released on March 16^th 2011, shows that one tenth of a percent equates to two-tenths of a year for males (75.7 years) and one tenth of a year for females (80.6 years). That’s right–women are still expected to outlive their sweethearts by an average of 4.9 years.

The study also found that age-adjusted death rates have declined significantly for the top 5 of the 15 leading causes of death:
* heart disease (down by 3.7 %)
* cancer (1.1 %)
* chronic lower respiratory diseases (4.1 %)
* stroke (4.2 %)
* accident/unintentional injuries (4.1 %)

Things are looking bright for the next generation, too: life expectancy at birth increased from 78.0 years to 78.2 years in 2009, says SeniorJournal.com.

So it looks as if with a bit of luck and a lot of preparation and good decisions, you can be looking forward to many sunset years ahead. But what will you do if in fact you do fall into the statistical range, and outlive your spouse? Do you have a plan in place for those extra 5 (or sometimes more) years? If you don’t yet, we can help! Our Estate Planning services can provide you with all of the necessary documents you need. Call us at 1-800-399-FARR to schedule your free initial consultation.

You can view the original full-length study here, on the CDC website.

Photo by Ambro. Evan H. Farr on Google +