Retirement

A few weeks ago, my husband and I met with a financial planner for the first time. Setting up the appointment was my idea - I suppose three and a half years of constant exposure to press releases entailing Americans' alarming lack of retirement preparedness will do that to a person.

Paralyzed both by fears about the economy and long-known saving malaise, workers still aren't saving adequately for retirement. They're aware that their fear and inertia are harming their retirement futures, but feel powerless to stop the damage.

It may be a no-brainer, but savings behavior continues to be a critical factor in ensuring retirement preparedness. This is according to new research by the Putnam Lifetime Income Score, a survey of 4,000 working Americans. With U.S. households presently on track to replace 65% of their current income in retirement, a slight uptick from the June 2011 report, those best positioned for success have access to workplace savings plans, and proceed to defer 10% or more of their income.

This summer, thousands of employees will be improving their financial knowledge and pitting their know-how against others in the first Employee Benefit News Financial Fitness Challenge

New findings from Tiburon Strategic Advisors reveal some interesting facts about advisers’ appetite, or lack thereof, for headline grabbing products such as alternatives and exchange-traded funds.

Financial advisers are so uncomfortable speaking about life insurance that more than half (56%) simply don’t do it, according to a recent survey by consultancy Saybrus Partners Inc.

Following a pair of bear markets, advisers know the days of buy-and-hold investors with 60/40 portfolio allocations are over.

Workers, shaken by the realities of the Great Recession, have adjusted their visions of retirement according to the 13th Annual Transamerica Retirement Survey released this week 3,600 American workers. It found that the majority of workers plan to work past age 65 (56%) and the majority (54%) plan to continue working after they retire. Despite workers' demonstrated commitment to saving, just 39% believe they are building a sufficient nest egg, thereby underscoring the need to redefine "retirement readiness" in a way that is better suited to these new realities.

Half of Americans say they aren’t contributing to a retirement plan, but more specifically 56% of Americans ages 18-34 are more likely to be among those not saving, according to a recent LIMRA survey.

While most retirement plan participants find guaranteed income appealing, the farther the horizon to retirement, the greater the attraction, a new study from The Hartford shows.