Too many baby boomers have looked ahead to plan for their retirement but have neglected how long term care expenses could influence their ability to have a comfortable life after their working years.

A recent Banker’s Life study found that 74% of baby boomers felt confident in their ability to handle future health care costs, and yet the government estimates that the average cost of long-term care for a retiree in total is $138,000. Up to 80% of respondents in that same Banker’s Life study said they had no money set aside for the retirement health care needs. 

For those who did have long term care savings earmarked, the median amount was just $40,000. While most people are familiar with the person who has needed long term care in retirement, and many know that they cannot count on family members or friends for around the clock care, this raises the question of whether or not baby boomers are over confident.

The misplaced confidence that baby boomers have about their health care costs has led to many of them investing more in estate planning rather than long term care planning. Just one-third of survey respondents had less than a $1000 set aside for emergencies and half of the respondents had less than $5000 in their emergency fund. The overwhelming confidence that baby boomers have in their ability to plan for the future could be misplaced and could expose them to serious risks in the future. Schedule a consultation with an estate planning and long term care planning lawyer to learn more about how strategies and tools can help to protect you.