Why Life Expectancy Matters The most obvious reason to know your life expectancy is to more accurately estimate how much money to save for retirement.

How to Calculate Your Life Expectancy originally appeared on usnews.com Update 06/30/25: This story was published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.

The tool also compares life expectancy 50 years ago and the projected life expectancy 50 years into the future. Check out our calculator below.

The problem with underestimating your life expectancy Your life expectancy is part of the foundation of your retirement plan.

Using this calculator, a 65-year-old woman born on Jan. 1, 1955, has a life expectancy of 86.6 years. And if she makes it to age 70, her life expectancy increases to 87.6 years.

If you're married, the IRS life-expectancy table you use depends on the age of your spouse.

The tool also compares life expectancy 50 years ago and the projected life expectancy 50 years into the future. Check out our calculator below.