The challenge

InLife, a leading Philippine insurance company, wanted to explore what retirement readiness looks like for Filipinos today. In the Philippines, families have traditionally been an important source of financial and social support in later life. But with smaller households, migration, rising healthcare costs and growing financial pressures, those support systems are becoming less predictable.

At the same time, retirement readiness is typically measured through financial indicators such as savings, pensions and insurance. While these are important, they don’t capture the full picture of how people experience and prepare for later life.

Together with InLife, we set out to understand retirement readiness through a broader lens. We wanted to uncover the emotional, social and behavioural factors that shape how Filipinos prepare for their future, alongside their financial readiness.

The solution

We combined AI-assisted desk research, expert interviews (with psychologists and economists) and a nationwide survey to explore the different dimensions of retirement readiness in the Philippines.

The research looked at financial behaviours and planning habits alongside emotional confidence, health security and social support. It also explored how retirement readiness changes across different life stages.

These insights became the foundation for the InLife Retirement Readiness Index, a culturally grounded framework that brings together four dimensions: financial, emotional, social and behavioural.

We then turned the framework into something people could use. Our Marketing Science team developed a custom algorithm that powers an interactive Retirement Readiness Calculator. It gives people a personalised readiness score, shows where they are strong and where there are gaps and provides practical guidance on what they can do next.

The work also generated the insights that informed InLife’s positioning and communication around Retire Assure, its retirement insurance offering. And it laid the foundation for continued thought leadership around retirement preparedness.

The impact

The research showed that retirement readiness is about much more than financial security. Savings don’t necessarily translate into confidence, while emotional readiness, health concerns, social support and everyday behaviours can all influence how prepared people feel.
The Index and Calculator are now helping both consumers and financial advisors have more meaningful conversations about retirement. For consumers, the tool turns a complex topic into a personal starting point. For advisors, it provides a broader view of clients’ readiness and helps guide more relevant conversations.
By bringing financial, emotional, social and behavioural factors together, the work is helping move retirement planning from something people put off to something they can start acting on today. And that’s the bigger opportunity: helping people feel more informed, more confident and more prepared for the years ahead.

This project received the Best Social Impact Award (region Asia Pacific) at the ESOMAR 2026 Conference in Valencia.