Ageing Population Transforming Protection in Retirement: Strategic Marketing Opportunities for Financial Advisers

The Demographic Shift Reshaping Financial Services

The financial landscape for retirees—and the advisers who support them—is changing rapidly. Swiss Re’s latest Sigma report, highlighted by FT Adviser, reveals that 27% of people in advanced markets will be over 65 by 2050. This demographic shift, alongside falling birth rates and rising longevity, is creating both unprecedented risks and significant opportunities for financial planners, protection specialists, and wealth managers.

But the question facing advisory firms today isn’t whether this shift is happening—it’s how prepared they are to capitalise on it.

Understanding the Silver Economy: Size, Scale, and Significance

The Concentration of Wealth Among Older Generations

Swiss Re’s analysis describes how ageing populations and the growing concentration of wealth among seniors are fundamentally transforming the types of financial protection people will need in the coming decades. In many developed nations, wealth is ’tilting’ towards older generations—households aged 55 and above already hold nearly $120 trillion in assets in the United States alone, four times the size of the national GDP.

The same dynamic can be observed in the UK, where property equity, pension savings, and investment portfolios are heavily concentrated amongst over-55s. This isn’t just a demographic trend; it’s a structural economic shift that demands strategic repositioning from advisory firms.

From Accumulation to Decumulation: A Fundamental Business Model Shift

For financial advisers, this represents a fundamental change in where and how advice adds value. Advisers who once focused on accumulation—helping clients grow wealth and protect dependants—now face growing demand for strategies that manage income, care costs, and inheritance in later life.

Swiss Re’s Life and Health Reinsurance CEO, Paul Murray, noted that the ‘silver economy’ is larger, wealthier, and living longer than any generation before it. This shift offers insurers and advisers alike a chance to redefine their relevance to over-65s through innovation and personalisation.

By 2050, a 65-year-old in a high-income country could expect to live another 23 years. Whilst longer lifespans represent medical and social progress, they also bring a growing need for reliable income streams that can last a lifetime. Advisers are therefore under increasing pressure to design portfolios and protection strategies that combine flexibility, sustainability, and care planning.

Critical Protection Gaps in Later Life

Long-Term Care: The £63 Billion Opportunity

The Sigma report identifies several urgent protection challenges emerging as people live longer. Long-term care already accounts for more than 2% of GDP in advanced economies, and demand is set to grow as more people reach advanced age with chronic health conditions.

Swiss Re notes that underwriting long-term care can be complex given the product’s duration. Current successful approaches tend to supplement state provision or bundle care with life and critical illness cover. For advisers, this complexity creates an advice opportunity—particularly when research shows significant gaps in retirement planning understanding.

Cancer Protection and the Post-Retirement Coverage Gap

Another pressing gap is cancer protection for older policyholders. With the median age of cancer diagnosis at 67, many existing critical illness policies expire before the period of highest risk. This leaves retirees exposed to potentially significant costs at precisely the moment they’re most vulnerable.

As a result, there’s increasing demand for policies that remain relevant beyond traditional retirement ages, ensuring clients maintain access to cover when they need it most.

Strategic Marketing Opportunities for Advisory Firms

Campaign Concept: The “Third Act Campaign”

Rather than positioning retirement as the end of financial planning, savvy firms are beginning to frame it as ‘Act Three’—a new chapter requiring different strategies, not diminished ambition.

This messaging shift transforms the conversation from “winding down” to “strategic planning for longevity,” appealing to clients who remain active, engaged, and financially ambitious well into their seventies and eighties.

Implementation approach:

• Educational content series: “Planning Your Third Act” featuring case studies of successful retirement transitions
• Digital advertising targeting 55-70 year-olds with messages around maintaining independence and financial security
• Professional networking events with solicitors, accountants, and care specialists focused on integrated later-life planning

Targeting the Right Segments

Not all over-55s are the same. Effective marketing requires segmentation:

Pre-retirees (55-64): Focus on transition planning, pension consolidation, and inheritance tax strategies. These clients are still accumulating but need to start thinking about decumulation.

Active retirees (65-74): Emphasise sustainable income, care funding options, and intergenerational wealth transfer. This group often has substantial assets but limited guaranteed income.

Later-life clients (75+): Priority shifts to estate planning, care cost management, and simplification. These clients value security and legacy above growth.

Content Marketing That Demonstrates Expertise

The protection industry has highlighted the opportunity, but capturing it requires demonstrating genuine expertise through educational content:

Webinars and Educational Events:

• “Funding Long-Term Care: Three Strategies for Maintaining Independence”
• “Making Your Pension Work Harder in Retirement”
• “Inheritance Tax Planning: Protecting Family Wealth”

Thought Leadership:

• Research reports: “The Protection Gap in UK Retirement: Quantifying the Opportunity”
• Expert commentary on pension policy changes and their implications
• Guest articles in regional press focusing on local retirement challenges

Digital Tools and Calculators:

• Interactive long-term care cost estimators
• Inheritance tax liability calculators
• Pension sustainability assessments

These tools generate leads whilst providing genuine value, positioning the firm as helpful rather than sales-focused.

Channel Strategy: Where to Reach the Silver Economy

Digital channels:

• LinkedIn for professional credibility and thought leadership positioning
• Facebook for community building and event promotion (noting that over-55s are the fastest-growing demographic on the platform)
• Email marketing for nurturing existing client relationships and educating prospects
• SEO-optimised content targeting searches like “retirement income planning,” “inheritance tax advice,” and “care funding options”

Traditional channels remain effective:

• Local press advertising and editorial coverage
• Seminars at golf clubs, community centres, and residential developments
• Direct mail to targeted postcodes with high concentrations of over-55s
• Professional referral partnerships with solicitors and accountants

Building Trust Through Professional Partnerships

As noted by Jane Finnerty, joint chair of the Society of Later Life Advisers (SOLLA), retirees face “increasingly complex decisions.” Advisory firms that position themselves as the hub of a professional network—working alongside solicitors for estate planning, accountants for tax efficiency, and care specialists for later-life needs—can differentiate themselves significantly.

Practical partnership strategies:

• Quarterly networking events bringing together complementary professionals
• Co-branded educational content with solicitors on inheritance planning
• Referral agreements with care advisory services
• Joint client review meetings addressing holistic later-life planning

Measuring Success: KPIs for Silver Economy Marketing

Effective marketing requires measurement. Advisory firms pursuing this demographic should track:

Acquisition metrics:

• Number of over-55 enquiries generated
• Conversion rate from enquiry to initial meeting
• Average client value in this demographic
• Cost per acquisition by channel

Engagement metrics:

• Webinar attendance rates
• Content download volumes
• Email open rates and click-through rates
• Social media engagement from target demographic

Business impact:

• Revenue from over-55 clients as percentage of total
• Average number of services per over-55 client (indicating cross-selling success)
• Client lifetime value in this segment
• Referral rates from satisfied clients

The Inheritance Tax Catalyst

Recent changes to pension rules and business property relief are bringing more estates into scope for inheritance tax. This regulatory shift creates a specific, time-sensitive marketing opportunity.

Advisers can develop targeted campaigns around “IHT Health Checks” or “Pension Estate Planning Reviews,” offering existing clients (and their adult children) peace of mind whilst demonstrating expertise in this complex area. Research from Age UK and Aviva confirms the scale of demand for this type of advice.

Addressing Common Challenges

Challenge: “Older clients are less digitally engaged”

Reality: Over-55s are increasingly comfortable with digital tools, but they value different things than younger demographics. They prioritise:

• Security and privacy
• Clear, jargon-free explanations
• Human contact alongside digital convenience
• Proof of credentials and expertise

Solution: Blend digital marketing for reach with personal touchpoints for trust-building. Use video content featuring real advisers, not stock imagery. Provide clear paths to human interaction.

Challenge: “Marketing to older clients feels patronising”

Reality: Poor marketing to older clients is patronising. Effective marketing recognises their sophistication.

Solution: Focus on complexity, not simplicity. Frame content around “navigating the maze” or “maximising opportunities” rather than “basic guides.” Respect their intelligence whilst acknowledging the genuine complexity of later-life financial planning.

Challenge: “This demographic is too risk-averse for growth”

Reality: They’re appropriately cautious, but still ambitious for maintaining lifestyle and leaving legacies.

Solution: Position protection and planning as enabling continued independence and achieving legacy goals, not merely avoiding loss. The emotional dimensions of later-life planning—security, independence, and dignity—are powerful motivators.

Implementation: Your 90-Day Action Plan

Month 1: Foundation

• Audit existing client base: What percentage are over-55? What additional services could they benefit from?
• Develop core service proposition for this demographic
• Create foundational content: webpage, service descriptions, initial blog posts
• Identify potential professional partnership opportunities

Month 2: Content Development

• Develop educational webinar series
• Create downloadable guides and tools
• Establish email marketing campaigns for nurturing prospects
• Launch professional networking outreach

Month 3: Launch and Promotion

• Host first educational webinar
• Launch targeted advertising (digital and traditional)
• Initiate professional partnership conversations
• Begin tracking metrics and refining approach

A Defining Era for Financial Advice

Swiss Re’s research confirms what many advisers already recognise: we’re entering a defining era for protection advice and retirement planning. The silver economy will dominate client demographics for the next three decades, driving innovation in both product design and financial advice delivery.

For firms that adapt early—focusing on empathy, education, and holistic planning—the rewards will be substantial. The demographic shift isn’t a distant future trend; it’s happening now, and the window for establishing market leadership in this space is open.

Financial planners who position themselves as experts in later-life and intergenerational planning can expect:

• Stronger client loyalty (older clients with longer relationships)
• Higher referral rates (from both clients and professional introducers)
• Increased assets under advice (this demographic holds the wealth)
• Enhanced reputation and market positioning

The ageing population isn’t just transforming protection in retirement—it’s creating the most significant growth opportunity in financial advice for the next generation. The question isn’t whether to pursue it, but whether you’ll lead or follow in capturing it.

Ready to position your firm for the silver economy? Aspina specialises in helping financial planning firms develop strategic marketing approaches that build trust, demonstrate expertise, and generate sustainable growth. Learn more about our services or get in touch to discuss how we can help you capture this opportunity.