The wealthy American retirement playbook hasn’t changed much since the 1950s: accumulate assets, buy property somewhere warm, and settle into a comfortable routine for your golden years. Recently, however, the definition of retirement security, and perhaps security itself, has fundamentally shifted. When it comes to personal wealth, what constitutes risk has expanded and become harder to predict. In 2025, healthcare costs have the potential to bankrupt even millionaires. Extreme weather and climate events can wash away dream homes. And, political volatility is rising in every corner of the country.
Despite increasing global instability, wealthy Americans are living longer, and thus have to reconsider the size of their retirement reserves and how they want to spend their time and capital. The popularization of remote work during the pandemic cracked open doors for different types of engagement, opening retirees to thinking beyond their borders when it comes to their future. Many are choosing to work in more flexible capacities for longer and viewing retirement less as a full stop and more as a transition to new frontiers, including philanthropy, advisory roles, and entrepreneurship. A more nomadic wealth class that prioritises flexibility is emerging, and thus is hedging their retirement plans in a new way: geography.
