Sand Hill's Chief Investment Officer, Brenda Vingiello, CFA, joins Jenny Harrington on “Halftime Report” to go over their most recent portfolio moves. Brenda's commentary begins
Will ‘100’ Become The New ‘80’?
Published Date : August 1, 2018
Imagine for a moment adding 20 healthy years to your lifespan. How might you live your life differently? At what age would you consider retirement? Or perhaps, would you consider starting a second or even third career? How would you positively impact the lives of your family or the broader world at large? As the opportunity to improve our life and health spans becomes a reality, an increasing number of scientists and investors in Silicon Valley are starting to view age as “just a number”, a problem with a discoverable solution.
Life expectancy has risen by almost 20 years since the Social Security Act of 1935 formalized age 65 as the standard retirement age. Today, thanks to ongoing improvements in nutrition and medicine, median life expectancy in the United States is now about 80 years. While predicting lifespan based on improving historical trends is encouraging in its own right, the coming technology revolution in healthcare means that many of us may fail to appreciate just how much the actuaries could be underestimating both our life and importantly, health spans.
The rise of personalized medicine (using a patient’s genetic data, lifestyle, and environmental surroundings to inform treatment) over the next decade will ultimately allow doctors to customize treatments and optimize your outcomes. Reading your genetic information and tailoring a unique medical response is an important milestone in pursuit of extended longevity, but the developing “holy grail” of personalized medicine is the ability to actually rewrite your genetic code. Budding technologies, like CRISPR, can now snip out and replace faulty parts of one’s DNA. While in its infancy, this technology may ultimately be able to successfully treat many hereditary diseases, reboot failing tissues and turn your doctor into a ‘biohacker’, enabling adjustments to your internal biology that materially extend your life and overall health.
Meanwhile, significant medical breakthroughs are being made outside the field of genomics. Cord and placental blood transplantation are now accepted as standard therapies for more than 80 diseases. Regenerative capabilities are being explored using stem cell therapy. And our understanding of the bacterial colonies that make up around half the cells in your body, known as your microbiome, is helping many optimize their health outcomes. Even robotic-powered “super suits” that boost strength and mobility for the elderly and disabled are being brought to market.
All of which means that unlike prior generations, Gen-Xers and Millennials are likely to be given the gift of an additional generation of memories and experiences. As a result, planning for a comfortable retirement that could last decades will be important. Many Baby Boomers are already working longer as life expectancies grow, education levels rise and work becomes less physically demanding. In the future, the Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s (85) and Warren Buffett’s (87) of the world are unlikely to be the anomalies; they’ll be the norm. Equally important will be the quality of that extended productivity and the necessity to build strong social and familial networks along the way.
Age is currently the leading risk factor for virtually every cancer, cardiovascular, neurological and degenerative disease in existence. Of course, it is still debatable whether healthy, triple-digit birthdays will become less rare and the promise of extended, highly productive lives, a reality. But based on the ever-changing and evolving technological landscape, your most important “job” may simply be to stay alive for the next 20 years or so to watch the hypothetical become reality … and to plan accordingly!
Articles and Commentary
Information provided in written articles are for informational purposes only and should not be considered investment advice. There is a risk of loss from investments in securities, including the risk of loss of principal. The information contained herein reflects Sand Hill Global Advisors' (“SHGA”) views as of the date of publication. Such views are subject to change at any time without notice due to changes in market or economic conditions and may not necessarily come to pass. SHGA does not provide tax or legal advice. To the extent that any material herein concerns tax or legal matters, such information is not intended to be solely relied upon nor used for the purpose of making tax and/or legal decisions without first seeking independent advice from a tax and/or legal professional. SHGA has obtained the information provided herein from various third party sources believed to be reliable but such information is not guaranteed. Certain links in this site connect to other websites maintained by third parties over whom SHGA has no control. SHGA makes no representations as to the accuracy or any other aspect of information contained in other Web Sites. Any forward looking statements or forecasts are based on assumptions and actual results are expected to vary from any such statements or forecasts. No reliance should be placed on any such statements or forecasts when making any investment decision. SHGA is not responsible for the consequences of any decisions or actions taken as a result of information provided in this presentation and does not warrant or guarantee the accuracy or completeness of this information. No part of this material may be (i) copied, photocopied, or duplicated in any form, by any means, or (ii) redistributed without the prior written consent of SHGA.
Video Presentations
All video presentations discuss certain investment products and/or securities and are being provided for informational purposes only, and should not be considered, and is not, investment, financial planning, tax or legal advice; nor is it a recommendation to buy or sell any securities. Investing in securities involves varying degrees of risk, and there can be no assurance that any specific investment will be profitable or suitable for a particular client’s financial situation or risk tolerance. Past performance is not a guarantee of future returns. Individual performance results will vary. The opinions expressed in the video reflect Sand Hill Global Advisor’s (“SHGA”) or Brenda Vingiello’s (as applicable) views as of the date of the video. Such views are subject to change at any point without notice. Any comments, opinions, or recommendations made by any host or other guest not affiliated with SHGA in this video do not necessarily reflect the views of SHGA, and non-SHGA persons appearing in this video do not fall under the supervisory purview of SHGA. You should not treat any opinion expressed by SHGA or Ms. Vingiello as a specific inducement to make a particular investment or follow a particular strategy, but only as an expression of general opinion. Nothing presented herein is or is intended to constitute investment advice, and no investment decision should be made based solely on any information provided on this video. There is a risk of loss from an investment in securities, including the risk of loss of principal. Neither SHGA nor Ms. Vingiello guarantees any specific outcome or profit. Any forward-looking statements or forecasts contained in the video are based on assumptions and actual results may vary from any such statements or forecasts. SHGA or one of its employees may have a position in the securities discussed and may purchase or sell such securities from time to time. Some of the information in this video has been obtained from third party sources. While SHGA believes such third-party information is reliable, SHGA does not guarantee its accuracy, timeliness or completeness. SHGA encourages you to consult with a professional financial advisor prior to making any investment decision.
Other Posts By This Author
- – A New Year’s Toast to the Silicon Valley Entrepreneur
- – How I Learned to Love the Bot
- – Thank You for Your Partnership
- – The Coming Deglobalization
Related Posts
Recent Posts
