Retirement Planning

Updated Thursday, May 23, 2013 as of 11:58 PM ET

Practice - Retirement Planning

In Debt, and (Not) Planning for Retirement

For a generation between 22 and 32 years old, saving for retirement is one of the most important things they can do for their financial future-- at exactly the time they can�t afford to do it.

More than half of the so-called millennial generation, 54%, reported that debt was their �biggest financial concern currently,� in a recent Wells Fargo Retirement Survey. Large student loans, which had a total outstanding balance of over $1 trillion at the end of 2012, had taken their toll. Debt was reported as �overwhelming� by 42% of respondents, which was twice the rate of boomers who were also surveyed. more »

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Advisors Missing Generational Shift?

A great wealth transfer may indeed be looming, but advisory firm executives are still focusing their creative energy on their boomer (and older) clients. more »

IRI Audience Warned on Advisor Shift

“The face of the advisor will change. There’s going to be a large cohort of retiring advisors and young advisors. They are going to be more diverse, and more will be working part-time. We have to adapt services to the new demand, and develop tools to communicate and interact with advisors.” more »

Gen Y Mass Affluent Outpace Boomers In Retirement Readiness

Mass affluent investors are beginning to regain confidence following the economic downturn, according to the Spring 2013 Merrill Edge Report. more »

Even Higher-Income IRA Owners Take Pre-RMD Withdrawals

Most IRA owners limit withdrawals to required minimum distributions, according to a new report from the Employee Research Benefit Institute. Nevertheless, a substantial number of higher-income retirees take withdrawals before age 70-1/2 and those non-required distributions may be relatively large, in relation to their IRA balances. more »

Recession Not Entirely at Fault for Retirement Crisis

The economic recession may have sparked a retirement crisis in America, but other significant derailers have also played a role. more »

Fears of Aging Clients Overstated

Reports that aging clients may not be able to make sound financial decisions because of declining cognitive skills may be overstated, said Laura Carstensen, professor of psychology and head of Stanford University’s Center on Longevity. more »

Low Interest Rates Could Ding Retirement Plans, EBRI Warns

A new study attempts to quantify the very real effect that low interest rates and muted yields in certain asset classes could have on investors' retirement planning. more »

Plan for Colossal Health Care Costs, NAPFA Audience Hears

Advisors are not doing a good enough job planning for health care costs. To better serve clients, advisors must understand the realities of health care, despite many unknowns. more »

Advisors Lower Boomers’ Retirement Debt

Among pre-retirees who worked with advisors, 73% said that did not expect to carry debt into retirement. more »

HSA Assets Continue to Surge

Fidelity reported a 53% increase in health savings accounts opened in 2012, raising the number of individual accounts administered by the company to 182,000. more »

ETFs Now Can Be Placed in Retirement Plans

MidAtlantic Trust Company said it had resolved record-keeping problems that have kept exchange-traded funds from being part of holdings in 401(k) and other retirement plans. more »

Retirement Readiness Worries Persist Despite Record 401(k) Balances

Only 12% of employers sponsoring 401(k) plans feel that their employees will be financially prepared for retirement, down from 15% a year ago. more »

Fees Continue to Impact Retirement Assets

A difference of 1% in fees could reduce an investor’s balance at retirement by as much as 28%, according to the Department of Labor. more »

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