Take it from CNBC superstar Sharon Epperson- “having the ‘money talk’ with your parents isn’t always an easy conversation, but it’s important to be clear about your own financial stability and theirs. Experts in elder law say… seniors are so vulnerable to financial exploitation in part because they are incredibly private about financial matters.”

“I always want to say to [skeptics]: ‘What do you think people should do when they retire? If it’s so easy and you don’t need an insurer involved, how much would you spend on Day 1?’ And they’re always like ‘Well I don’t know, like 4%.’ Well, 4% on what day? What about next year?”

Rewind back to before Chip Conley received an Influencer in Aging award, before his TED talk and his book. Conley was a seasoned entrepreneur looking for new challenges. He got one in the form of a call from the head of Airbnb, a young startup that wanted to grow and wanted his help. There Conley found his footing working across generations as what he calls a “modern elder.”

“In countries that are only now starting to think of older adults as possible consumers for tech, you’ll see startups developing digital health products for the aging- which is great- but older adults are not just patients… The population is extremely diverse, and a 65 year old baby boomer has different wants and needs than their parent who’s 85 years old, although they’re both considered ‘old.’”

“My overarching message is that there is no such thing as a bad [financial] product. So annuities are not bad and mutual funds are not bad. Life insurance is not bad. Stocks aren’t bad. Different products are viable and a good purchase decision for different people.”

“The only true way to endure is to accept … the wisdom that we are a species designed to live on- just not literally. We do so by passing on, from generation to generation, what we’ve learned from life. By investing in and connecting with the next generation. That’s how we live forever.”