What do you get when you combine a lot of 401(k) money, an increased threat of fraud and a lack of understanding of financial basics?
The answer, according to a recent discussion of experts, is both the opportunity for helping people with retirement but also the possibility of fraudulent or inept handling of lump-sum distributions. The discussion was held during the annual meeting of the Society of Actuaries here. SOA is based in Schaumburg, Ill.
During a session titled 'Retirement: Risk is Opportunity,' panelist Martha Priddy Patterson, a director with the Washington office of Deloitte Consulting LLP, talked about the confluence of events.
Patterson started her comments by noting that more money has migrated to defined contribution plans and the upcoming wave of baby boomers will receive lump sum distributions.
"It is an opportunity not only for boomers but is also an opportunity for out-and-out thieves and incompetent financial advisors," said Patterson. "There are those who would like to separate people from their retirement benefits as they begin to receive lump sum distributions."
While there are many out there who would "pick off as much of retirement lump sums as they can," Patterson also noted that there are also financial advisors who are "relatively knowledgeable" and who want to do a good job but are simply not sufficiently trained.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has done a good job on issues such as taking measures to stop firms that lure seniors to make financial decisions by offering free dinners, she noted.
But, she said, there are problems such as the numerous different types of financial products as well as the number of different regulatory agencies overseeing the sale of these different products. Among the different layers of enforcement she enumerated were the SEC and federal banking agencies as well as state insurance and securities regulators.
