Dr. Ken Dychtwald

 About

About Dr. Ken Dychtwald – Futurist and Speaker on Longevity and the Marketplace, Aging and Retirement:

Over the past 40+ years, Dr. Ken Dychtwald has emerged as North America’s foremost visionary and original thinker regarding the lifestyle, marketing, health care, economic and workforce implications of the age wave.

Ken is a psychologist, gerontologist, and best-selling author of 18 books on aging-related issues, including Bodymind, Age Wave: The Challenges and Opportunities of an Aging Society, Age Power: How the 21st Century Will Be Ruled by the New Old, Healthy Aging, Gideon’s Dream: A Tale of New Beginnings, A New Purpose: Redefining Money, Family, Work, Retirement, and Success and What Retirees Want: A Holistic View of Life’s Third Age (an Amazon #1 bestseller in both the retirement and business marketing categories). He also released a memoir in April 2021: Radical Curiosity: One Man’s Search for Cosmic Magic and a Purposeful Life (an Amazon #1 New Release in the psychologist biographies category). He was the executive producer and host of the highly rated/acclaimed PBS documentary, The Boomer Century: 1946–2046 which aired over 2,000 times on PBS stations nationwide and his new Public Television special is titled Life’s Third Age. Ken also conceived and hosted the innovative new American Society on Aging series “The Legacy Interviews,” featuring interviews with the legendary pathfinders of the field of aging.

Since 1986, Ken has been the Founder and CEO of Age Wave, an acclaimed think tank and consultancy focused on the social and business implications and opportunities of global aging and rising longevity. His client list has included over half the Fortune 500. He has served as a fellow of the World Economic Forum and was a featured speaker at two White House Conferences on Aging. Ken has twice received the distinguished American Society on Aging Award for outstanding national leadership, and American Demographics honored him as the single most influential marketer to baby boomers over the past quarter century. His article in the Harvard Business Review, “It’s Time to Retire Retirement,” was awarded the prestigious McKinsey Award, tying for first place with the legendary Peter Drucker. He was honored by Investment Advisor as one of the 35 most influential thought leaders in the financial services industry over the past 35 years. Ken and his wife, Maddy, recently received the Esalen Prize for their outstanding contributions to advancing the human potential of aging men and women worldwide. In 2018 he was awarded the Inspire Award from in the International Council on Active Aging for his exceptional and lasting contributions to the active-aging industry and for his efforts to make a difference in the lives of older adults globally. In 2020, he was the first recipient of the Pioneer Award from the Retirement Coaches Association.

During his career, Ken has addressed more than two million people worldwide in his speeches to corporate, association, social service, and government groups. His strikingly accurate predictions and innovative ideas are regularly featured in leading print and electronic media worldwide and have garnered nearly fifteen billion media impressions.

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 Topics

What Dr. Ken Dychtwald Talks About:

The Birth of Life’s Third Age and the Retirement of Retirement
Today there are more than one billion people over the age of 60 worldwide, thanks to steadily rising longevity and the aging of the massive global Baby Boom generation. Most 60-year-olds can expect to live another 20 years or more, and with impending breakthroughs in exponential and precision medicine, living to 100+ will soon become commonplace. Dr. Ken Dychtwald, who has been North America’s leading visionary and original thinker about the “age wave” for more than 40 years, will explain how the combination of rising longevity and the aging of the Baby Boomers will forever change our lives, families, communities, government programs, and the consumer marketplace. He’ll explain why the 20th century notion of “retirement” has become too narrow and obsolete, and he’ll provide a mind-stretching preview of the new “Third Age” that is rising worldwide. Topics to be covered include:

  • The emerging medical breakthroughs and technologies that have the potential to dramatically improve health, aging, and longevity for all
  • How a cyclic lifeplan—with repeated personal reinventions—will turbo-charge demand for new ways to repeatedly learn, give/volunteer, work, and enjoy life
  • The new measure of lifelong success and the ideal roles for 21st century “modern elders”
  • How we can work together to eliminate ageism and envision an abundantly healthy, continually curious, and satisfyingly purposeful Third Age

Enough is Enough: Consumers 50+ Want Marketing and Advertising to Grow Up!
Marketing campaigns are too often out of sync with the reality of today’s older, more seasoned buyer. Did you know that:

  • Men and women over 50 now make up 33% of the total U.S. population and 44% of the adult population but control more than 70% of total wealth.
  • Due to the combination of rising longevity, declining fertility, and the aging of the Baby Boom generation, this group is now bigger than the entire population of most countries.
  • As a new generation of active and curious consumers, they now dominate the marketplace and are responsible for:
    – 50% of new car and truck purchases
    – 51% of personal care products
    – 51 % of grocery food items
    – 59% of books and reading purchases
    – 65% of health care
    – 65% of home maintenance and repairs
    – 72% of prescription and OTC drugs
    – 80% of retirement accounts

A recent AARP study showed that 62% of 50+ consumers wish that ads had more realistic images of people their age. And nearly half were annoyed that ads of people their age reinforced outdated stereotypes. Dr. Ken Dychtwald, who is recognized as North America’s leading visionary and original thinker on longevity and aging for nearly 50 years, will explain how your business can best target this massive, misunderstood, misrepresented, and wildly untapped new market. He’ll illustrate the attributes that resonate with this potent consumer as well as what does not. He’ll provide an inspirational preview of the products, services, marketing, and advertising that will succeed at meeting the needs and aspirations of this new age of aging consumer while eliminating the ageism that has impeded shareholder value for too long.

The Longevity Revolution: Triumph or Tragedy?
History’s greatest accomplishment—increasing longevity—could ironically become civilization’s greatest crisis. Left “uncorrected,” it could cause an economic misalignment of every aspect of society from pensions to playgrounds; global pandemics of degenerative diseases, including a billion humans with dementia; and a gerontocracy that could spark political age wars. Gerontologist/psychologist/futurist Ken Dychtwald outlines four parallel “moonshots” that are needed to transmute these potentially grave problems and by so doing match healthspan to lifespan; safeguard financial security for all generations; stimulate a longevity marketplace; and provide a 21st century purpose for modern elders.

The Rise of History’s Biggest Untapped Market ― It’s Hiding in Plain Sight!
Men and women over 50 now make up 33% of the total U.S. population and 44% of the adult population but control more than 70% of total wealth. Due to the combination of rising longevity, declining fertility, and the aging of the Baby Boom generation, this group is now bigger than the entire market of most countries. As active and curious consumers, they are responsible for 53% of all food and grocery purchasing; 55% of all travel and leisure consumption; 56% of new car and truck purchasing; 68% of OTC drugs and 77% of all Rx drug consumption; and 78% of all retirement accounts. However, people 50+ only appear in 15% of advertisements and are disproportionately portrayed as old, sick, and homogenous. Dr. Ken Dychtwald, who has been North America’s leading visionary and original thinker about the “age wave” for more than 40 years, will explain how to best target this massive, misunderstood, misrepresented, and wildly untapped new market. He’ll illustrate why 20th century notions of “lifetime brand loyalty,” “retirement,” and “seniors” have become obsolete and how with impending breakthroughs in precision medicine, living to 100+ will soon become commonplace. And he’ll provide a mind-stretching preview of the products, services, marketing, and advertising that will succeed at meeting the needs and aspirations of this new “Third Age” while eliminating the ageism that has impeded shareholder value for too long.

 

The Future of Retirement: New Timing, New Purpose, New Funding – and New Planning Help Needed
With the convergence of rising longevity, the aging of the massive Boomer generation, and widespread financial insecurity stemming from the COVID pandemic, there is a greater need than ever for trusted, holistic financial guidance. Americans want financial professionals who seek to understand what matters most to them and their families and can help them achieve their goals. This new presentation by Dr. Ken Dychtwald, the nation’s foremost visionary and expert on longevity, aging and retirement, draws on his new book What Retirees Want: A Holistic View of Life’s Third Age, as well as cutting-edge new research that spans five generations. He’ll outline the most important questions in retirement planning today and explain how financial professionals can demonstrate greater empathy to safeguard a well-lived retirement by providing targeted solutions for these uncertain times. Topics to be covered include:

  • Why has financial peace of mind become far more important than wealth?
  • What are the greatest worries in achieving a financially secure retirement?
  • How could “generational generosity” jeopardize retirement?
  • In what ways is women’s rising financial power transforming the field of retirement planning?
  • How will the demands of eldercare, sibling care, grandparenthood, singlehood, and “rehirement” impact retirement planning?
  • Leaving a legacy: managing the greatest generational hand-off in history

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 Recent Publications

Ken is a gifted speaker on a topic that needs to be spoken about. He combines data with storytelling and his own years of experience to help us think differently about ageism and what it should mean for any modern workplace

Microsoft

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