Brexit shows the importance of account consolidation: Retirement Scan

Our daily roundup of retirement news your clients may be thinking about.

Brexit shows the importance of account consolidation
The impact on the stock markets of the U.K.'s decision to leave the European Union stresses the need for investors to consolidate their retirement accounts, according to this article on MarketWatch. With all assets in a single account, monitoring gets easier and investors can take a pro-active approach to protecting their portfolio from market volatility caused by major events similar to Brexit. –MarketWatch

Brexit-Bloomberg.jpg
The British Union flag, also known as the Union Jack, left, flies beside the flag of the European Union outside the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, on Wednesday, July 20, 2016. Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel, who hosted U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May in Berlin on Wednesday during her first overseas trip as prime minister, said that EU rules stipulate a country must invoke Article 50 to start the process of leaving the 28-nation bloc. Photographer: Jasper Juinen/Bloomberg

Cash value in life insurance: Is it right for you?
Clients should consider their tolerance for risk and the level of flexibility they want before buying a cash-value life insurance policy, according to this article on Huffington Post. While life insurance buyers have the option to choose a premium and the amount of coverage, the risk levels and the earning potential for cash value depend on the type of policy they buy. Financial planners recommend that young families get term life insurance if they do not max out their contributions to retirement accounts, if they fail to save for unforeseen financial needs, or if they cannot make a long-term commitment to the policy. –Huffington Post

4 strategies to avoid an estate-planning mishap
Clients should ensure that they have prepared a simple will to avoid an estate-planning mishap, according to this article on Kiplinger. They may also want to set up a living trust and buy life insurance if they intend to leave something behind for their loved ones after death. They should make sure they properly title their accounts and name their beneficiaries to avoid issues. -Kiplinger

Views on improving your retirement
A team of experts tackle different ways for clients to enhance retirement in this article on The Wall Street Journal. A psychiatrist explains that virtual technology offers great potential for enabling seniors to better interact with their environment, while another expert urges seniors to delay their Social Security retirement benefits until the age of 70 for bigger benefit payouts. An analyst talks about the tontine, an alternative retirement savings vehicle that seniors can use to secure their golden years, while another expert emphasizes the need for retirees to have their Medicare wellness visit every year. Finally, a consultant tackles the results of a survey that revealed that many retirees find happiness in helping other people in need. –The Wall Street Journal

Weighing sequence of returns risk for retirees
Sequence-of-returns risk should prompt clients using a conservative investing approach to use lower fixed return assumptions instead of the compounded return that they expect from a lump-sum investment, writes an expert. "Sequence of returns risk is relevant for both the accumulation and retirement phases..." the expert says. "The impact is even greater for retirement. Conservative clients will not want to use the 'expected return' for their portfolios when developing lifetime financial plans." –Forbes

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