Retirement planning

Most consumers don’t read the prospectus they receive when they purchase a variable annuity and a new report released by the Insured Retirement Institute on Monday found that 94% of consumers would prefer to receive a shorter, printed summary prospectus online or upon request.

The majority of Americans say they want and need income replacement projections for their retirement but most have neither access to that data nor an understanding of how to translate their 401(k) savings into a stream of retirement income, according to an online survey of more than 1,000 401(k) investors by J.P. Morgan.

The majority of Americans say they want and need income replacement projections for their retirement but most have neither access to that data nor an understanding of how to translate their 401(k) savings into a stream of retirement income, according to an online survey of more than 1,000 401(k) investors by J.P. Morgan.

Retirement as we know it is getting hit with two enormous threats.

While retirement income is fast becoming the No. 1 concern of retirees and pre-retirees, trumping worries over rates of return and control over money, a mere 9.5% of financial advisers are addressing the issue in depth-missing out on a vital way to form and cement relationships with those entering into retirement, according to Fidelity Investments.

More 401(k) participants are invested in single target-date, balanced fund or managed account advisory services, according to Vanguard’s “How America Saves 2011” report.

With only 51% of Americans believing they will have enough money to enjoy a comfortable retirement, an all-time low, the Country Financial Security Index fell one point in June to 63.7.

Despite witnessing firsthand the anxiety and apprehension that many of their Baby Boomer parents are now enduring as they close in on retirement, the overwhelming majority of Gen-Xers are still not adequately preparing themselves for their own eventual retirement.

Writing out retirement income plans is a great way for financial advisors to increase client satisfaction, gain more referrals and ultimately increase assets -- yet few of them do it, according to a new study from Fidelity Investments.

Half of all U.S. employees are really not happy at their jobs, according to Mercer’s latest survey which covers 2,400 workers in the United States. Nearly one in three wants to leave, up from 23% in 2005, including about 20% of boomers ages 45-65, the group most likely to approach financial planners.

Allianz Life Insurance on Monday released a new research paper, “Rethinking What’s Ahead in Retirement,” that finds Americans are now more concerned about guarantees and retirement income in retirement than they are on returns and control.

Investors whose financial advisers have presented them with detailed, written retirement income plans rate them highly, yet only 18% of pre-retirees who work with an adviser have a retirement income plan, a survey of 500 retirees, pre-retirees and advisers by Fidelity Investments found.

By addressing women’s unique investing issues, financial advisors can build up a roster of more loyal clients, a Bank of America Merrill Lynch panel said on Thursday.

Fifty-four percent of adults age 65 or older are confident in their retirement preparedness, according to Charles Schwab’s latest quarterly retirement pulse survey. But only 26% of those between the ages of 18 and 34 share those feelings.

Fifty-four percent of adults age 65 or older are confident in their retirement preparedness, according to Charles Schwab’s latest quarterly retirement pulse survey. But only 26% of those between the ages of 18 and 34 share those feelings.

A survey of 1,009 adults by Edward Jones on their retirement savings found good news and bad news. While 15% said their portfolios have recovered from the economic downturn, up from 12% in April 2010, 25% are not saving for retirement, up from 16% a year ago.

Nearly 10 million adult children over the age of 50 care for their aging parents, at an average cost of $324,044 in lost wages and Social Security benefits for women and $283,716 for men, according to a new study from MetLife, the National Alliance for Caregiving and New York Medical College.

A survey of 1,009 adults by Edward Jones on their retirement savings found good news and bad news. While 15% said their portfolios have recovered from the economic downturn, up from 12% in April 2010, 25% are not saving for retirement, up from 16% a year ago.

The Hartford is betting that enhancements to its variable annuity suite will pull it ahead of competitors in the race to offer investors secure retirement income options.

A new report from Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. suggests that financial advisers need to educate their clients better on the importance of managing their emotions as well as their spending and investing behavior during and close to retirement just as they did-presumably-when they were saving up for their golden years.