By Paul Brandus Good news: We're living longer. Too bad most of us can't afford it. Here's some good news: After falling in recent years, U.S. life expectancy rose in 2025, the Census Bureau says, to a record 79.4. That's up from 79.25 the year before. Women, on average, can expect to live a bit longer than that; men, a bit less. That's the good news. Now, the not-so-good. Living longer means we'll need more money. For most Americans, that's the problem. Can we afford to live longer?