WealthTech Today Ep. 323: From Avoidance to Action: Making Long-Term Care a Standard Part of Retirement Planning, with Lily Vittayaruksul, Waterlily
Jan 8, 2026
Lily Vittayaruksul, co-founder and CEO of Waterlily, a fintech startup revolutionizing long-term care planning through AI, discusses the urgent need for integrating long-term care into retirement planning. She shares personal experiences that fueled her mission and highlights Waterlily's innovative platform, which predicts care needs and costs. The conversation also dives into analytics that help advisors navigate insurance options effectively and the platform's growth amidst increasing consumer interest, redefining standards in the industry.
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Family Crisis Sparked The Company
- Lily recounts her aunt's three-year terminal illness that drained the family's finances and relationships.
- That experience motivated Lily to pivot from aerospace to founding Waterlily to protect families from similar ruptures.
Predict Needs To Reveal Real Shortfalls
- Waterlily predicts a client's future long-term care needs and models costs to reveal true shortfalls.
- Presenting needs-driven numbers shifts planning from marketing claims to personalized financial decisions.
Compare Policies Against Client Scenarios
- Compare insurance quotes against a personalized claim scenario rather than headline benefits.
- Use analytics to stack-rank ROI and eligibility before presenting insurance to clients.