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Since Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke has said that he will terminate the QE2 program in mid-June, what will become of the bull market that saw the S&P 500 nearly double from its 2009 lows?

Franklyn Berkowitz is Director of Retail Financial Services at Astoria Federal. The parent company, Astoria Financial Corporation has assets of $17.7 billion and deposits totaling $11.5 billion in New York. Its 50 full-time FAs serve clients in New York City and its suburbs, an area with a bigger population than 38 states.

Marc Vosen is president and CEO of Key Investment Services, as well as the current president of BISA, the trade association for bank brokerage and bank insurance sales. More communication between advisor and client is key, he says, especially when the customer feels more in the loop.

Joseph F. Coughlin is the founder and director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology AgeLab, a multidisciplinary research program created to understand the behavior of the 45 and over population. It considers the role of technology and the opportunity for innovations to improve the quality of life of older adults and their families.

Paul K. Stetter Jr. knows his clients' biggest fear is outliving their savings. Yet, the pragmatic Ephrata, Pa.-based financial advisor doesn't mince words when telling investors how much they'll need for retirement. Helping clients stay focused on saving is how the first vice president at Fulton Financial Advisors ensures he meets clients' best interest, as well as their retirement needs.

W. Scott Dixon, executive VP and financial advisor channel manager of SunTrust Investment Services, and Mark Davis, senior VP of Retirement Solutions at the Wealth Solutions Group at SunTrust Wealth & Investment Management help hundreds of advisors keep clients from losing sleep while planning for their later years. On average, retirees might depend on their investments for 20 or more years after the traditional retirement age of 65. And Dixon and Davis advise a slow, steady and rational way of helping clients invest a sufficient amount to meet their post-retirement financial needs.

We solicited opinions from around the industry with one overarching theme in mind: How can bank advisors better prepare their clients for retirement?

Structured CDs seemed to come out of nowhere. But they quickly became, arguably, the hottest products in the bank channel.

When advisors leave a wirehouse, they take most of their books. But there is still plenty left to dole out, and over the years it adds up.

New spending comes as the bruises to the banks' reputations are still healing.

Investors should be keenly aware of the major factors that can diminish long-term returns.

Divorce can have devastating financial consequences if you're not prepared.

Are exchange-traded funds part of the equation for a truly diversified portfolio?

Our legal expert answers your questions about paying back loans.

Leaders who focus on employees' best attributes reap the greatest rewards.

Preparation and planning is essential for a flawless move to a new firm.

The chairman of the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission talks about too-big-to-fail banks and the push back to reform legislation.

Annuity products, both fixed and variable, had a good run in the bank channel during the first quarter of 2011.

New rules will make it possible for financial fraud tipsters to pocket a bounty of up to 30% of any recovery or sanctions of more than $1 million and provides new protections from employers.

When it comes to saving for retirement, most Americans have a distorted and potentially disastrous view of just how well they're doing relative to their parents and grandparents.