May 24, 2012
By Jerry Gleeson
Putnam Investments is releasing an upgraded calculator in October which it says accomplishes that goal, although one technology consultant says it’s a long way from replacing financial advisors....
May 11, 2012
By Mark Miller
We've all seen the studies – one seems to land on my desk once or twice a week. “Americans are living longer.” “Fewer have defined benefit pensions.” “The value of Social Security is shrinking.” “Boomers don't have enough money to retire comfortably.” “A retirement crisis is looming.” ...
May 9, 2012
By Lauren Barack
New technology allows clients to see themselves, literally, as they will be when they're old enough to retire. Research shows it could help investors save more for their golden years....
May 1, 2012
By Jerry Gleeson
Sponsors of 401(k) retirement plans who worry when employees borrow from the savings vehicle have a solution, but it comes with a price, a new report by Vanguard says....
Apr 13, 2012
By Mark Miller
What worries your clients most about their prospects for achieving a secure retirement? The cost of health care. ...
Apr 9, 2012
By Mark Miller
Not always: Six ways pension annuities almost always beat a lump sum....
Mar 13, 2012
By Jerry Gleeson
Saving for retirement, and using a financial advisor to provide help in planning for the golden years, are a low priority for American workers, an annual survey by the Employee
Benefit Research Institute says today....
Mar 9, 2012
By Mark Miller
You have a client who participates in a defined benefit pension plan at work. She's near retirement, and needs to make a decision: take the money as a lump sum, or receive a monthly lifetime annuity-style payment? What advice should you give?...
Feb 10, 2012
By Mark Miller
The spoils of the 401(k) market have always gone to the large players – big retirement plan providers providing the best, most efficient plans to big plan sponsors. But small is starting to look beautiful....
Feb 1, 2012
By Kevin McKinley
Advisors can earn their fees and their clients' appreciation by boning up on what can be done with an inherited IRA....
Feb 1, 2012
By Joshua Brown
Why do people hire financial advisers? The answer might surprise you. Sometimes they are merely looking for someone to pull the trigger for them when they’re too shell-shocked to invest for themselves. ...
Jan 19, 2012
By Stan Luxenberg
Where art thou, mine lifetime income investment?...
Jan 13, 2012
By Mark Miller
A Social Security and Medicare checklist for your clients.
...
Jan 1, 2012
By Diana Britton
Contrary to popular belief, shifting clients from accumulation to decumulation may boost FA revenues. ...
Jan 1, 2012
By Mark Miller
The reverse mortgage industry is re-focusing on a relatively new lower-cost loan type....
Jan 1, 2012
By Kevin McKinley
Retirement account beneficiary designations are easy to overlook, but the consequences of doing so can be severe.
...
Dec 14, 2011
By Jerry Gleeson
Affluence and peace of mind no longer automatically go hand in hand, a new survey sponsored by Wells Fargo & Co. indicates, and the implications are sobering. In a survey of 800 Americans with investable assets of $100,000 and up, 23 percent said they are not confident they will have saved enough for retirement, compared to 75 percent who said they were confident. ...
Dec 8, 2011
By Mark Miller
Lenders hope to convince financial planners who reverse loans can be a safe, flexible financial tool for seniors. Many planners are skeptical of reverse loans due to their high fees; the industry also has been dogged lately by headlines about litigation focused on foreclosure risks facing seniors, and market exits by several major lenders....
Dec 1, 2011
By Mark Miller
The approach can overlook important investment issues. ...
Dec 1, 2011
By Kevin McKinley
Clients need your help and expertise when taking required minimum distributions from IRAs....
Nov 28, 2011
By Jerry Gleeson
A huge demand among mass affluent investors for retirement income products is building, but industry response to the trend is still in its infancy, the author of a new Aite Group report on the subject says. Greg Cherry, a senior analyst at Aite’s Wealth Management practice, says he’s seen estimates of 7,000 to 10,000 people who are retiring daily as the baby boomer generation moves into its later years....
Nov 10, 2011
By Mark Miller
A fee-only financial advisor for both retirement plans and individuals, Roger Wohlner worries that target date funds—which invest in a mix of assets with the aim of reducing equity exposure as participants approach retirement—just can't do as good a job as professional advisors managing client funds. ...
Nov 1, 2011
By Diana Britton
As the retirement plan business becomes more complex and demanding, advisors can no longer dabble in the space. More will specialize, and many broker/dealers are already helping them up their game....
Nov 1, 2011
By Kevin McKinley
Clients with too much home equity and not enough retirement money can take advantage of record-low rates to shore up their savings and cut down their taxes....
Nov 1, 2011
By Alan Lavine
Clients seeking investment guarantees are increasingly turning to insurance products....
Nov 1, 2011
By Mark Miller
Rigorous comparison shopping is the order of the day....
Oct 13, 2011
By Mark Miller
What's the best move you can make on behalf of older clients this month? Hint: It has nothing to do with the money you manage for them.
But you may be able to help senior clients save thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket health care costs by encouraging them to comparison shop for Medicare prescription drug and managed care options during the program's annual fall enrollment season.
...
Oct 7, 2011
By Stan Luxenburg
Retirees have long struggled with a difficult question: How much can you spend each year without going broke? ...
Sep 8, 2011
By Mark Miller
Bob Morrison was working up a comprehensive financial plan last year for new clients when he began noticing some odd behavior. Morrison, a planner based in Littleton, Colo., had been working with the couple—a 64-year-old man and his 52-year-old wife—over a four-month period, and several conversations with the husband concerned him. ...
Sep 1, 2011
By Diana Britton
The market has been flooded with new retirement income products, but are advisors and plan sponsors buying in?...
Aug 30, 2011
By Amy Burroughs
As the baby boomer generation ages, the number of people with Alzheimer’s will climb: an estimated 16 million are expected to suffer from the disease by 2050, up from 5.4 million today, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. One early sign of the disease is trouble managing money, which puts financial advisors on the front lines....
Aug 1, 2011
By Diana Britton
In the current economy, this term has taken on new meaning....
Aug 1, 2011
By Kevin McKinley
Anxious clients can find plenty of excitement in boring old savings bonds....
Aug 1, 2011
By Anne Field
A 57-year-old financial advisor is trying to plan his retirement and prepare a successor in case anything should happen to him. But he's not sure what the best route is....
Jun 28, 2011
By Diana Britton
Individuals who receive professional financial advice are more likely to be prepared for retirement, no matter what their income level is, according to a survey by Brightwork Partners and sponsored by Putnam Investments. ...
