Retirement planning

Although most of your clients are focusing more on retirement planning and taking the necessary steps to prepare, there are some danger signs advisors and clients must be ready for.

Although most of your clients are focusing more on retirement planning and taking the necessary steps to prepare, there are some danger signs advisors and clients must be ready for.

Advisors report that annuities are requested by clients more than any other unsolicited product, according to a new study from Cerulli Associates.

Some 25 million people a year are thinking about social security, opening a door to a massive market for advisors, Bill Meyer, founder and CEO of Social Security Solutions, said at the Retirement Income Industry Association conference.

Mercer Hammond has added a trio of national segment leaders to service three major components of the US investments market.

The Retirement Income Industry Association recognized the best marketing and thought-leadership in the industry during its annual conference

Fewer people are making a clear transition into retirement and the trend is creating unique challenges for advisors.

Commonwealth Financial Network launched "RetireReady," a customizable participant education program for independent advisors. The program will help advisors add value to retirement planning advising for sponsor clients.

Healthcare is often a big retirement concern for seniors, yet less than a third that have financial planners discuss Medicare plans with their advisors, according to a recent survey commissioned by Allsup.

For large U.S. companies and their employees, health care premiums continue to rise, albeit slowly. Meanwhile, most employers are reevaluating their retiree health insurance strategies, planning more emphasis on the individual rather than the group market.

With more and more Baby Boomers living longer and the senior population increasing faster than younger generations, we are entering the age of longevity. It's crucial that advisors help clients plan for this new chapter, said Louise Schroeder, a financial advisor and owner of Personal Financial Solutions, Inc.

It is often said that when men plan, the gods laugh. Nowhere is this perhaps more true than when it comes to planning for retirement. While we all acknowledge the risk that finances can play on our retirement plans, the reality is that threats to our retirement plans can come from all areas of our lives.

In a bullish sign for the planning industry., Financial Planning's Retirement Advisor Confidence Index - a monthly barometer of business conditions for wealth managers - rose in October.

After 28 years in the Social Security Administration, Jack Butler, an advisor with HTLF Investment Services, takes his knowledge to the bank channel to educate clients on what they can expect from the program.

One of the keys to engaging clients is addressing topics that are relevant and emotional in order to bridge to longer-term planning concerns, such as the presidential election.

Advisors are helping gay and lesbian clients face the unique barriers to achieving their financial goals.

Securities America works to keep and attract advisors by fashioning itself as a leader in retirement income distribution.

A planner with a client with a fatal illness needs to engage in hand-holding and some gentle pushing.

The economics that drove up the costs of traditional pension plans are showing signs of slowing down and that could augur their comeback.

OppenheimerFunds, which introduced its first Class I mutual fund shares in December 2011, has expanded its I Shares product lineup.