One article I read this week made the observation that “When it comes to retirement savings, confusion reigns.”
While it’s an article that’s well worth reading, there’s a depressing sameness about it.
Academics and other experts understand the value of including income annuities in a retirement plan. However, individuals either lack the understanding or the know-how to actually implement that strategy.
While one could blame the consumer, our direct experience with consumers shows that they are knowledgeable and only need a little help in figuring out income annuities.
I actually take some pride in the fact that they’re getting an unfiltered view of income annuities when they speak with us. Unfortunately, they’re not getting that from most other advisors.
I have to admit that the author of this next article is a favorite of mine, Mary Beth Franklin. She’s quite the expert on Social Security and other retirement matters.
In her piece on “Financial advisors need to prepare for the coming age wave,” she reports that we, as a society, are not ready for the “age wave,” as if we didn’t know that Baby Boomers were going to age.
I have a little more confidence than she seems to that we will adjust, albeit a little late, with Social Security reform, smarter retirement strategies looking at the two stages of retirement, and improved retirement planning that starts before retirement.