Retired Couples Outspend Younger Travelers by 50% Per Trip
The 'SKI' trend — Spending the Kids' Inheritance — is reshaping how retirees approach travel and personal finance in retirement.
A growing number of American retirees are embracing a philosophy known as "SKI" — Spending the Kids' Inheritance — a mindset that prioritizes personal enjoyment over leaving behind a financial legacy, according to new data released from St. Petersburg, Fla.
Retired couples spend roughly 50 percent more per trip than their younger counterparts, a gap that reflects both greater disposable income and a deliberate decision to deploy accumulated savings on experiences rather than preserve them for heirs. Analysts describe the shift as a notable departure from the savings-first ethos that defined earlier generations of retirees.
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The SKI trend signals a broader recalibration in retirement spending behavior. Rather than treating a nest egg as something to be passed down, today's retirees are increasingly treating it as a resource to be actively spent during their healthiest and most mobile years. Travel is among the most visible categories where this reallocation is taking place.
The implications for financial planning are significant. Advisers may need to revisit withdrawal-rate strategies and legacy-planning conversations with clients who no longer prioritize inheritance as a retirement goal. The trend also carries downstream consequences for the travel and hospitality industries, which stand to benefit from a demographic with both the time and capital to spend freely.
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