Last week we left off somewhere between a chocolate Long John and church.

But first.

Apologies for my choice of Life Expectancy calculators in Tip 598. I hear we all ‘scored’ well into our 90’s. In hindsight, what did I expect from a financial services company trying to sell Long Term Care!

Score: Cynics 1,289; Pollyanna, Still Scoreless.

(Try another short calculator HERE. Or yet another, much more detailed HERE; i.e., seems to ask all the relevant questions. But you have to create an account to get the results.)

OK, now back to church. 

“A paper published by Mayo Clinic researchers in 2001 found that people who regularly attend religious services tend to have lower rates of mortality and hospital admissions, in any given period, as well as better cardiovascular function.

“Another 2016 Harvard study found that those who attended religious services at least one a week had 33% lower mortality from any cause.” (WSJ 6/10-11,’23)

(Hedging my bets, this morning I attended a service at St. Bart’s in New York City. It’s beautiful; don’t miss it next time you’re there!)

Diet. Exercise. Genetics. Religiosity. What other factors contribute to life expectancy? 

And just maybe, lower premiums!!