Aging has long been associated with a dysregulation of immune function and age-related changes are reported in many cell populations. Given the complex nature of immunity, it is not always clear what mechanism is responsible for the observed effect.  This is particularly important in relation to the function of humoral immunity. Much research has focused on decreased quantity and quality of antibodies following immunizations, however in many cases it is unclear whether the problem is intrinsic to B cells themselves or reflects age-related changes in other cell populations such as helper T cells, macrophages, or follicular dendritic cells. Here we review recent literature that supports the notion B cells do acquire intrinsic changes that can negatively impact immunity during aging.