AIA Alta High-Net-Worth Optimal Longevity Index reveals that despite the impressive numbers, families might not be fully prepared for what’s ahead
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Going by the figures alone, there is no escaping just how important investment in future planning has become for Asia’s high-net-worth (HNW) and ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) families, with industry watchers predicting they will drive an estimated US$5.8 trillion in asset transfers in the region by 2030.
But behind these figures lie some lingering questions, chief among them being how much investment can be considered enough, and how is all this money actually being used to prepare these families for the years ahead? These questions are particularly pertinent in light of the rise in life expectancy rates across the region.
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The AIA Alta High-Net-Worth Optimal Longevity Index1 explores how wealthy families in mainland China and Hong Kong are readying themselves in terms of both wealth and health for longer lifespans. Insights from the research suggest the issue might be more complex than many might assume. Despite the sophisticated nature of their financial planning, HNW and UHNW families achieved an overall longevity readiness score of just 62 out of 100, placing them in the index’s “Developing” category. The finding suggests that while affluent families might recognise that living longer will affect their financial plans, many have yet to institutionalise the structures, governance frameworks and decision-making mechanisms needed to manage health, wealth and legacy over multiple decades and generations.
Building financial resilience
In simple terms, what the index suggests is that a lot of these families might not be fully prepared for the implications of a longer life, a notion reflected by the gap the index reveals between intention and execution.
While about 80 per cent of affluent individuals have established at least one wealth continuity mechanism, such as a trust, will or succession plan, just 20 per cent have put in place arrangements that will ensure there is health-decision continuity for their families in the years ahead.
Another emerging issue is that as life expectancy increases – and the population grows – there is a pressing need for families to support these multiple generations simultaneously.
Entrepreneurs are staying active longer, healthcare costs continue to rise and succession timelines are becoming increasingly fluid. As a result, future-ready planning is becoming less about accumulation and more about resilience, adaptability and continuity. This in turn is driving growing interest in solutions that can provide meaningful protection without compromising flexibility.
AIA’s newly launched Wealth Elite Life Insurance Plan 3 reflects this shift in thinking. Designed with enhanced protection leverage, offering coverage of more than six times the premium under specified conditions2 while preserving capital efficiency, it enables affluent families to create a broader financial safety net for their loved ones while maintaining flexibility for other wealth planning priorities.
It is equally important to remember that financial protection needs to evolve throughout the various stages of life. The priorities of a young entrepreneur, a business owner, a parent or a family preparing for succession are rarely the same. By providing flexibility and plans that can adapt to changing family and wealth circumstances, the Wealth Elite Life Insurance Plan 3 supports a more dynamic approach to long-term financial planning as priorities evolve over time.
The ability to support different priorities of families, including through options such as policy splitting, reflects the reality that modern wealth stewardship is rarely static. As circumstances and priorities evolve across different life stages, from financial protection to succession considerations, many affluent families are placing greater emphasis on flexibility within their broader planning strategy. Protection may not be viewed as a one-time payout, but as an important component of broader family and wealth planning.
Health as a pillar of wealth
As medical innovation accelerates, access to advanced treatments, specialist networks and coordinated healthcare support is becoming increasingly important – and more readily available. The result is that affluent families are now focusing not only on funding healthcare, but also on navigating complex medical journeys efficiently and with confidence.
Responding to these evolving healthcare expectations, AIA’s OptimaCEO Medical Plan is designed with this reality in mind, offering medical protection with enhanced cancer protection. This is complemented by value-added offerings such as prestigious concierge services3; access to integrated medical resources; and access to AIA’s Signature Healthcare Circle4 of multidisciplinary cancer care professionals. These support services help individuals navigate increasingly complex healthcare journeys with greater confidence. In this way, in a “longevity economy”, healthcare preparedness and long-term financial well-being increasingly go hand in hand.
Legacy as a living strategy
There is also a third dimension to being “longevity ready”, and that is legacy.
As significant intergenerational wealth transfers are expected to take place across Asia in the coming decades, families are increasingly focused not simply on passing on assets, but on creating continuity across generations.
Legacy planning today is less about a single transfer event and more about ensuring wealth remains relevant, well governed and adaptable as family circumstances evolve.
This is where solutions such as AIA’s Wealth Flexi Savings Insurance Plan can play a meaningful role. With value-added services that support ownership transfer, contingent ownership, insured arrangements, beneficiary flexibility and succession planning, families can now be sure of greater control over how wealth is preserved and passed forward over time.
The objective is not merely to transfer wealth, but to help future generations inherit wealth with clarity, structure and purpose.
From intentions to action
One of the most revealing findings from the Index is that many affluent families understand the importance of longevity planning, yet relatively few have formalised the mechanisms required to ensure their wishes can be carried out in the case of unforeseen events.
For families with complex structures, global assets and multiple generations, clarity of intention can be just as important as the assets themselves. In a situation such as this, the first-in-market5 Future Wishes Arrangement6 – a value-added service available under both AIA Wealth Elite Life Insurance Plan 3 and AIA Wealth Flexi Savings Insurance Plan – represents an evolution in modern legacy planning.
Rather than relying solely on traditional succession arrangements, Future Wishes Arrangement allows policy owners to pre-set instructions that may take effect upon specified life events, including death or health impairment. By enabling owners to determine in advance how policy ownership and benefit payments should be handled under different scenarios, the arrangement is designed to support a more structured and adaptive framework for legacy planning. Such mechanisms can help provide greater clarity, continuity and peace of mind for future generations.
The future-ready family
At its core, the index reflects a changing reality: longevity cannot be managed in silos. Wealth, health and legacy are increasingly interconnected challenges that require integrated thinking.
As people live longer, as their lives interconnect across more generations and as their life journeys become increasingly complex, success is no longer measured solely by the wealth they accumulate. It is increasingly defined by their ability to protect what they have built, to maintain their health and well-being, and to pass all this forward as their legacy.
In the age of longevity, true wealth is not simply about having more. It is about being ready for what comes next. Reflecting this shift, AIA Alta7 supports affluent families through an integrated approach to wealth, health and legacy planning, supported by a broader HNW ecosystem of solutions, services and experiences designed for different stages of the family journey.
1Index was initiated by AIA Alta and developed by Boston Consulting Group (BCG). The survey covers 328 qualified respondents across Hong Kong and mainland China who participated in the survey and in-depth interviews. Detailed analysis focused on 201 high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth respondents with investable assets above US$1 million. High-net-worth means an individual with investable wealth of US$1 million to US$30 million. Ultra-high-net-worth means an individual with investable wealth of more than US$30 million. Respondents were analysed by tier, geography, generation and gender.
2The Guaranteed Death Benefit is over six times the premium under specified conditions, based on a male, age 50, standard class, non-smoking, single payment, country group A+, sum assured = US$10 million and assumes that the insured passes away on or before the 10th policy anniversary. If the insured passes away after the 10th policy anniversary, the guaranteed death benefit will be reduced progressively on each policy anniversary until it reaches 50 per cent of the sum assured and shall remain unchanged thereafter, or the Single Premium paid for the basic plan, whichever is higher. The coverage leverage may vary depending on individual customer profile and underwriting assessment.
3The above value-added services as set out in the sections do not form part of the contractual services. Referrals or services provided by third-party service providers does not explicitly imply eligibility for claims under OptimaCEO Medical Plan. Customers should be solely responsible for any cost not covered under the value-added services subject to the relevant terms and conditions thereof. Please take note that the actual claim reimbursement under OptimaCEO Medical Plan shall be subject to the provision of complete claim documents, insured’s benefits entitlement, exclusion, policy contract, terms and conditions of OptimaCEO Medical Plan. For details, please contact AIA for enquiry. AIA reserves the right to amend, suspend or terminate any of these services any time without further notice.
4“Signature Healthcare Circle” refers to designated third-party medical network service providers engaged by AIA. The medical network service providers are independent contractors and are not agents or employees or representatives of AIA. AIA does not guarantee the provision of services by a particular medical network or the number of medical network(s) available. For details, please refer to the brochure.
5“First-in-market” refers to Future Wishes Arrangement’s feature which allows the policy owner to make different instructions for different specified triggering events in one integrated value-added service. This feature is first-in-market when compared against similar services offered by Hong Kong major insurance companies, pioneered by AIA in Wealth Flexi Savings Insurance Plan on June 1, 2026.
6Future Wishes Arrangement is only available to designated insurance plans and policies which meet the minimum premium eligibility requirements. The policy must be issued in Hong Kong, and Transitional Owner Arrangement is not designated for or being exercised under the policy. It is not applicable to corporate-owned policies and trust-owned policies. It is a value-added service and not a product feature, therefore it is not offered under the policy contract of Wealth Elite Life Insurance Plan 3 and Wealth Flexi Savings Insurance Plan. Application is subject to AIA’s approval to be determined at AIA’s discretion. The available designations under Future Wishes Arrangement may differ between eligible products. Please refer to the relevant service leaflet for details. AIA reserves the right to withdraw the Future Wishes Arrangement or change its terms and conditions or any related requirements at any time at AIA’s sole and absolute discretion.
7AIA Alta club membership is available to eligible customers who meet the applicable aggregate annualised premium requirements. Certain services may be provided by third-party service providers. Any relevant professional advice is provided by the respective third-party service providers and not by AIA. Please refer to the AIAHK website for details.
Disclaimer:
The above sponsored content is sponsored and provided by AIA. This article is for reference only and it should not be construed as any offer, solicitation or recommendation to provide or sell any products.
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This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (www.scmp.com), the leading news media reporting on China and Asia.
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