Quietly Rewriting Aging and Work
age/proof Digest: October 28, 2025
The only weekly digest for forward-thinking people curious about the cultural and demographic shift reshaping the future of aging.
Written by a 40-something living inside the world’s largest retirement community. Here’s my round up of actionable insights this week to help us rethink what older age can be.
The Wealth Transfer Is a Cultural Handoff
The Great Wealth Transfer isn’t just about money. It’s about what values, priorities, and possibilities come with that capital. Gen X is set to inherit trillions, and many are thinking less about preservation and more about purpose.
Why it matters: This transfer of assets is the largest in history, and it’s already underway. We’re not just watching accounts change hands; we’re watching identities shift. It opens the door to values-aligned investing, philanthropy, and entrepreneurship. It also raises questions about readiness, access, and legacy.
Real-world signal: Wealth advisors interviewed by Quad Cities Business report a rise in clients wanting to align inheritance planning with causes, community needs, and personal meaning.
Greg O’Gara, financial planner, said: “It’s not just about passing it on. It’s about passing it forward.”
Yes, but: Without accessible planning tools, many families — especially women and first-generation wealth holders — may miss the opportunity to use this transfer for generational change.
Hidden insight: This isn’t just a financial event. It’s a cultural design moment. A chance to direct resources toward futures that reflect more than just financial success.
Takeaway: If you’re thinking about how money shapes meaning, you’re already ahead of the curve.
Source: Quad Cities Business Journal
Retirement Is Being Rewritten in Real Time
Retirement, as most people think of it, was designed for a shorter life and a narrower definition of work. That doesn’t hold up anymore. Gen X is next in line, and they’re pushing for a different path forward built on flexibility, purpose, and optionality.
Why it matters: People are living longer and working longer. They’re doing this by choice and necessity. But the retirement planning systems are stuck in outdated models of full-stop exits. AARP reports that nearly half of Gen X expects to work beyond age 70. What’s emerging is not retirement, but reinvention.
Real-world signal: Joseph Coughlin at MIT AgeLab says retirement needs a “curriculum rewrite,” one that supports encore work, lifelong learning, and civic contribution.
AARP data shows 45% of Gen X expects to keep working, not just for income but for relevance and meaning.
Yes, but: This vision only works if work becomes more flexible, accessible, and age-inclusive. Without structural support, working later in life may become a strain — not a meaningful option.
Hidden insight: Retirement isn’t a destination. It’s becoming a design problem. How do we structure life across 30 additional years?
Takeaway: If you’re not planning to “retire,” you’re already ahead of the curve.
The Caregiving Crunch Is Reshaping the Workplace
Work and care are colliding for millions of Gen X and Millennial adults. They’re balancing aging parents, growing kids, and their own health — all while holding down jobs. The pressure is breaking the system.
Why it matters: Caregiving is no longer a private problem. It’s a workforce reality. Companies that fail to adapt will lose talent, loyalty, and the trust of a workforce navigating real human complexity. Most caregiving support policies were built for early parenthood, not elder care. The longevity economy depends on making care central to modern work design.
Real-world signal: Forbes reports that women in midlife are the most likely to be caring for multiple generations and the least likely to get adequate support at work.
Shelley Zalis, founder of The Female Quotient, advocates for “care wallets” and policies that reflect life stage, not just family status.
Yes, but: Many employers still treat caregiving as a personal issue, not a structural one. Without universal leave or flexible options, the burden falls hardest on those already stretched thin.
Hidden insight: The next generation of leaders is already caregiving. Companies that design for them will win not just talent, but trust.
Takeaway: If you’re juggling care and career, you’re not a liability. You’re the future of work.
Source: Forbes, Healthcare Dive
When the Dream Home Stops Fitting the Dream
The homes many older adults live in no longer match how they want to live. But alternatives — whether smaller, more social, or more flexible — are still hard to find. This isn’t just a real estate problem. It’s a design failure with implications for identity, health, and community.
Why it matters: Most Gen Xers want to live with more ease and connection in midlife, not more isolation. But current housing stock assumes “aging” means downsizing or disappearing. What they need instead is right-sizing with dignity, access, and optionality. This is a moment to rethink home as a tool for agency and belonging.
Real-world signal: Two Gen X couples featured in Business Insider sold long-held homes and moved into communities designed for simpler, more intentional living.
Alicia Glen, former NYC Deputy Mayor, said: “We need housing that supports multigenerational living and dignified density.”
Yes, but: Zoning restrictions and cultural resistance continue to block housing innovation. “Active adult” developments can still feel disconnected from broader communities and amenities.
Hidden insight: This isn’t just about square footage. The next wave of housing must address autonomy, purpose, and the psychological shifts that come with longer lives.
Takeaway: If your home no longer fits the life you want, the system — not you — is out of date.
Source: Business Insider
The Most Ignored Spending Power in America
Gen X now spends more than any other generation. But marketers and retailers barely acknowledge they exist. The disconnect is so extreme that it reveals a deeper failure to understand midlife as a dynamic and profitable life stage.
Why it matters: Gen X leads both in-store and online spending, according to recent PwC data. They’re loyal, values-driven, and digitally savvy — a rare combination. But most brands still skip messaging Gen X entirely. That leaves a massive opportunity for those who design with nuance and respect.
Real-world signal: Fast Company reports that Gen X’s retail spending outpaces every other cohort, but marketing campaigns rarely reflect their lifestyle, needs, or aspirations.
Marie Driscoll, retail analyst, notes: “They are spending, but nobody’s talking to them.”
Yes, but: Gen X has been overlooked for so long that many feel cynical or disengaged from traditional advertising. Winning their trust requires authenticity. Not gimmicks or stereotypes.
Hidden insight: This is less a generational gap than a design gap. Brands that ignore Gen X aren’t just missing out on sales. They’re falling behind on the future of aging.
Takeaway: If you don’t see yourself in marketing, it’s not you. It’s the model that needs a rewrite.
Source: Fast Company
Redefining What Aging Looks Like
Forget “anti-aging.” Gen X is continuing the shift toward embracing aging as change — not decline. They are among the first generations to age with the internet, and that’s changing everything from aesthetics to wellness to identity.
Why it matters: Gen Xers are more accepting of aging than previous generations. They’re also less interested in reversing time and more focused on living well now. This shift is cultural, not just cosmetic — and it’s reshaping markets and media. Designing for aging must now mean designing for identity, not invisibility.
Real-world signal: A 2025 IFOP study shows that Gen X adults are less likely to fear aging and more likely to embrace gray hair, functional fitness, and age-positive tech.
Elizabeth Zelinski, psychologist and aging researcher, notes Gen X has a “functional mindset” that prioritizes vitality over appearance.
Yes, but: The wellness and beauty industries still push youth-centric ideals, leaving many Gen Xers without products or messages that reflect their reality.
Hidden insight: This isn’t about looking younger. It’s about claiming visibility on your own terms and forcing the culture to catch up.
Takeaway: If aging feels more like a chance to express who you are than to hide who you were, you’re exactly where the culture is heading.
Source: IFOP
Until next time,
Rethink Aging With Us
This is for you and you’re in the right place:
If you’re in your 30s, 40s, 50s, or beyond and not ready to fade out.
If you’re a builder, strategist, or decision-maker trying to understand what aging really means for your product, team, city, or community.
If you’re tired of “decline narratives” about age and are ready for something more honest, more useful, and more human.
Join other curious and forward-thinking people who are reconsidering what older age can be — and how to live it with intention.
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Amazing read 👏🏽
More companies should be reading your advice about what they're missing out on by not marketing to Gen X. You make excellent points. Also, have you listened to Dr. Peter Attia's podcast? If not, start with this one. He's a Gen Xer who is redefining how to approach aging. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/longevity-101-a-foundational-guide-to-peters/id1400828889?i=1000733646543