The second "Longevity Preparedness Index" shows that despite the increasing awareness, there is still a need for continuous improvement. Among these areas, nursing is the weakest in preparedness, while community and social connections are the strongest.

John Hancock signifies that we will transform these insights into action, providing targeted support to help our customers prepare for a longer, healthier, and better life.

Boston, October 27 (Reuters) / PRNewswire / -- John Hancock and MIT AgeLab released the 2026 Longevity Preparedness Index ( Longevity Preparedness Index, LPI) today, which is a national benchmark that measures whether Americans are prepared for a longer, healthier, and better life. Entering its second year, the results show that the scores of American adults LPI have remained largely unchanged compared to last year, indicating that despite growing awareness of the challenges and opportunities related to longevity, there are still persistent gaps in individuals' preparations for a longer lifespan. Americans still face obstacles in eight key areas of preparation: care, community, daily activities, finance, health, home living, life transitions, and social connections.

John Hancock President and CEO Brooks Tingle stated: "Data tells us that cognition, although extremely important, is not enough. Most Americans are living longer, but the systems, policies, workplaces, and support that could help them thrive have not kept up. The next chapter of longevity leadership must be about transforming insights into collective action. How we respond to this call will determine the resilience of future generations."

Key LPI Insight: In 2026, the United States still has a low level of preparedness for longevity, with respondents scoring an average of 60 out of 100 on eight dimensions of aging, which is the same as in 2025. The results show:

• Compared to 2025, Americans are slightly better prepared in terms of the "life transition" dimension, with a score that is 2 points higher.
• Americans still have the greatest potential for improvement in three areas: nursing (43 points), home care (56 points), and health (56 points), which highlights the necessity of proactively planning for future nursing needs.
• Those who have collaborated with financial professionals overall scored higher, at 67 points; those who have never collaborated with financial professionals scored 58 points, and this is true in all dimensions as well.

Manulife John Hancock Retirement CEO Wayne Park stated: "Our research makes it clear that those who collaborate with financial professionals are better prepared for a longer life, not only financially but also in key aspects of overall well-being. Preparing for longevity requires a comprehensive plan. Financial professionals can help people connect their finances, health, caregiving responsibilities, and life transitions, enabling them to face the future with more confidence."

Take action

John Hancock helps individuals prepare for a longer, healthier, and better life through life insurance, wealth and investment capabilities, as well as expertise in retirement planning and plan management. The company is leveraging the insights of LPI to provide targeted support to customers, in order to enhance their preparedness and resilience for the future:

• By planning resources and integrating with John Hancock Pathways, we help families prepare for caregiving and elderly care at home. Pathways is a "healthy aging" platform that provides personalized guidance, incentives, and rewards to eligible policyholders, helping them develop healthy habits and support long-term independent living.
• Provide industry-leading John Hancock Vitality Program, which includes access to prevention and early detection technologies, to help transform health awareness into action. Depending on qualifications, some life insurance, wealth, or retirement clients can use technical tools such as Galleri, Prenuvo, and Function Health from GRAIL, as well as heart health resources that provide personalized insights to help people take measures to protect their healthy lifespan earlier and more wisely.
• Invest in resources, education, and platforms – including Longer, Healthier, Better, Network – to provide financial professionals with experts on longevity topics, dedicated sales support, business expansion opportunities, and ready-made resources, helping them to more comprehensively incorporate topics such as health, care, home living, life transitions, and financial security into their conversations with clients.
• Supported by Longevity Preparedness Tool of John Hancock, it facilitates overall longevity preparation. This is an interactive 10-minute questionnaire developed in collaboration with MIT AgeLab. It assesses individual preparedness across the same eight dimensions as LPI and provides actionable suggestions for improvement. The tool is open to the public.

The founder and director, Dr. Joe Coughlin, stated: "Preparing for a longer lifespan is one of the most decisive economic and social challenges of the 21st century. The discussion can no longer merely focus on how much money one has saved for retirement. More Americans need to ask themselves: 'Where will I live?' 'With whom will I live?' 'Who will take care of me?' And more organizations also need to consider how to help people make meaningful progress."

The complete results of the 2026 Longevity Preparation Index and personal assessment tools can be found at www.johnhancock.com / prepareforbetter.

Longevity Preparation Index Method

LPI conducted surveys via online and telephone interviews in English, with samples drawn from NORC AmeriSpeak Panel. The sample consisted of 1,340 representative Americans aged 18 and above. Additional sampling was performed among non-Hispanic black respondents, Hispanic respondents, non-Hispanic Asian American respondents, and Pacific Islander respondents to ensure sufficient sample sizes for subgroup analyses. During the analysis, survey responses were weighted to represent the U.S. population. The data collection period for the survey was from May 8 to May 26, 2026.

The scoring range for LPI ranges from 0 points (completely unprepared for longevity) to 100 points (completely prepared for longevity). The overall LPI consists of 8 dimensions. Each dimension measures positive behaviors related to longevity preparation as well as the awareness of the importance of that dimension. The score for each dimension is calculated independently, with a range of 0 to 100 points. The average score of the eight dimensions constitutes the overall LPI score.

The Longevity Preparation Index was co-developed by MIT AgeLab and funded by John Hancock. John Hancock provided financial support for this research, but did not affect the research results, methods, or conclusions. John Hancock has no association with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology ( MIT ) AgeLab; neither party assumes any obligations towards the other.

Regarding John Hancock and Manulife

John Hancock is a business division under Manulife Financial Corporation. Manulife Financial Corporation is a leading international financial services provider that helps people make decisions more easily and live better lives by offering financial advice, insurance, and wealth and asset management solutions. Manulife Financial Corporation is traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange, the New York Stock Exchange, and the Philippine Stock Exchange under the symbol MFC, and it is also traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange under the symbol 945. Manulife can be accessed at manulife.com.

John Hancock is one of the largest life insurance companies in the United States, providing a wide range of financial products to over 10 million Americans, including life insurance and annuities. John Hancock also offers investment capabilities as well as retirement planning and management expertise to American investors, serving both individuals and institutions. For more information about John Hancock, please visit johnhancock.com.

Disclosure

* John Hancock Pathways is a platform provided by Personify Health, Inc (“Personify Health”), and is open to policyholders who hold policies issued or managed by John Hancock and meet certain criteria. The materials on the Personify Health website are neither provided by John Hancock nor constitute an endorsement by John Hancock. John Hancock Pathways is not owned or operated by John Hancock or its affiliated companies. John Hancock and Personify Health are independent companies. John Hancock does not provide medical services or advice, nor is it involved in the design or provision of services offered by the Personify Health website (John Hancock Pathways) or mobile applications. The relevant services and their availability may change or be terminated at any time.

John Hancock does not provide medical advice. Vitality is the service provider of John Hancock Vitality Program related to the life insurance policies issued by John Hancock. The rewards and discounts of John Hancock Vitality Program are only applicable to the insured under eligible life insurance policies.

John Hancock and John Hancock Vitality Program have no association with any external third-party products or services provided or offered (hereinafter referred to as "external providers"). External providers are independent third parties that offer discounts, rewards, or other promotional benefits. External providers are not sponsors of John Hancock Vitality Program.

Any products and/or services provided by external providers are not managed, designed, distributed, or manufactured by John Hancock. John Hancock is not responsible for the accuracy, quality, or performance of any products or services provided by external providers. The products or services offered through John Hancock Vitality Program are not insurance and may change.

Insured persons who meet the criteria are not currently able to access products or services provided by external providers through John Hancock Vitality Program in all states, and this may change in the future. Each discount offered by external providers is subject to the terms, conditions, and eligibility requirements determined by John Hancock and/or the external providers themselves.

Insurance policies and/or related additional terms and features may not be available in all states.

This material is not an endorsement of any particular product, service, or organization; nor is it intended to provide financial, investment, insurance, or health advice. Its purpose is to raise awareness and is for educational purposes only. The material and the Longevity Preparedness Index scores are provided for informational and educational purposes only. The results are general in nature and do not take into account individual financial, health, or personal circumstances. When making decisions related to future preparedness, one should not rely solely on the score results but should independently assess one's own choices and circumstances before taking any action.

Insurance products are underwritten by the following institutions: John Hancock Life Insurance Company ( U.S.A .), Boston, MA 02116 (not licensed in New York State), as well as John Hancock Life Insurance Company of New York, Valhalla, NY 10595; securities are provided through John Hancock Distributors LLC and other brokerage traders with whom sales agreements have been established, located at 200 Berkeley Street, Boston, MA 02116.

John Hancock Retirement Plan Services LLC, 200 Berkeley Street, Boston, MA 02116.

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