How to Talk About Retirement the Right Way

Commentary April 26, 2010 at 07:49 AM

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National Underwriter Life and Health ran a story a couple of weeks ago about LIMRA's findings that most advisors don't consistently discuss retirement income planning with their clients.

The study gauged the experience of retirees aged 55 to 80 with $200,000 or more in household investable assets. More than half say advisors aren't helping them with retirement income. Yet a second study of advisors showed that 90 percent of advisors say they're actively involved in retirement planning.

So are the advisors lying? Or the retirees?

Probably neither. It may be a simple matter of advisors not speaking a language retirees can understand, or not having the right conversations at the right time.

In the May national print edition of ASJ, we published a retirement planning timeline designed to show producers the retirement needs of their clients whether they're in their 20s or 60s, whether they're married or single, employed or retired (or of working age and unemployed), and more.

We based this timeline on interviews with experts offered by the Retirement Income Industry Association and other planning experts.

I've been using quotes from these inteviews even in casual coffeeshop conversations with friends. Like, "Did you know that if you're alive and relatively healthy in your 60s, there's a good chance you'll still be alive in your 90s?"

It seems retirement is a hot topic even outside the realm of our readership, and outside this little insurance-focused Clearwater office.

So check out the retirement planning timeline – and please share with us in the comments how you help your own clients plan for a great retirement!

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