As people live longer and traditional notions of work and happiness evolve, the concept of “retirement” is undergoing a critical transformation. This was the message Prudential shared at this year’s Aspen Ideas Festival, where company leaders challenged prevailing myths and introduced a meaningful, future-focused approach to retirement planning in this new era of longevity.
“Our future selves can often feel like strangers to us,” said Dylan Tyson, president of Retirement Strategies and head of the Global Retirement Center of Excellence at Prudential. “However, by imagining the life we’ll want later and making more intentional choices now, we can build future security that reflects what we care about most.”
The annual Aspen Ideas Festival convenes influential policymakers and thought leaders across government, academia, and the public and private sectors to tackle the toughest challenges in business and society.
Tyson, along with Ann Nanda, head of Future Growth Initiatives and Distribution Enablement for Retirement Strategies at Prudential, and Lata Reddy, senior vice president, Inclusive Solutions and chair of The Prudential Foundation, led Prudential’s lineup of featured speakers at this year’s festival, sharing the company’s perspectives on the evolution of retirement and discussing trends and policies that will influence the next generation of financial solutions.
Prudential Presents: Living Better Longer
Tyson was joined on the Aspen main stage by Robert Waldinger, author of The Good Life and director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, along with participants from the upcoming documentary inspired by the book. They discussed moving conversations about retirement beyond traditional portrayals of leisure-based lifestyles to focus on the real drivers of happiness and fulfillment. This type of introspection is a vital first step in designing a retirement plan that helps people protect their life’s work and truly resonates with each person’s desired outcomes and aspirations for how to live a better life, longer.
Strategies for an Inclusive Economy
Reddy led roundtable discussions focused on strategies to expand financial and retirement security through inclusive economic growth. Participants examined the current landscape of economic empowerment and mobility in the U.S., and how cross-sector collaboration can drive meaningful progress. Reddy highlighted Prudential’s role in advancing inclusive growth through strategic investments and initiatives — such as expanding access to homeownership, capital markets and employee ownership. She also emphasized the company’s Impact and Responsible Investing portfolio, which supports transformative developments and affordable housing, delivering essential services and opportunities to untapped communities. Through targeted community engagement and partnerships across sectors, Prudential is helping to ensure all communities can build financial capability, protect assets, and foster generational wealth.
Empowering Retirement: A Conversation with Your Future Self
Nanda led a panel featuring a pair of thought leaders in the world of behavioral science: Hal Hershfield, Ph.D., professor of marketing, behavioral decision-making and psychology at UCLA and author of Your Future Self, and Marc Schulz, Ph.D., professor of psychology at Bryn Mawr College, associate director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development and co-author of The Good Life. The trio discussed how behavioral science approaches and modern technology can help individuals align retirement planning with their personal values, focusing on holistic well-being rather than solely financial outcomes. Through interactive exercises including relationship mapping and future self-visualization, the session underscored the need for comprehensive retirement strategies that provide an individual with financial security while also supporting what matters most to them.
The Prudential Insurance Company of America, Newark, NJ, and its affiliates.
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