NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

More than one third of adults in the U.S., 37 percent, are interested in working with a professional to help manage their retirement accounts but dont think they have enough savings and investments to do so, according to a survey released by E*TRADE. The survey found that many Americans are unaware or overwhelmed by their options for retirement savings.

E*TRADE has a long history of empowering individuals to take control of their financial futures and planning for retirement is a key component, explained Lena Haas, SVP, Investing and Retirement at E*TRADE. By providing investors with simple ways to make informed decisions in their retirement planning we are helping them avoid unnecessary expenses and focus on reaching their financial goals.

E*TRADE offers a wide range of free tools and educational resources to help investors plan for retirement. For one-to-one retirement planning support, E*TRADE has Rollover Specialists and a Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC) in every branch and available over the phone. Recently, E*TRADE launched the OneStop Rollover, an online program that makes it faster and easier for individual investors to invest their 401(k) savings from a previous employer into a professionally-managed portfolio with a low minimum of $25,000. Investors can access E*TRADEs OneStop Rollover at http://www.etrade.com/retirement, where theyll also find tools like the Retirement Calculator to create or review their current retirement plan.

Additional key findings from E*TRADEs survey include:

Survey Methodology

This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of E*TRADE from August 20-22, 2012 among 2,399 adults ages 18 and older. Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region and household income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables, please contact Jaime Stein (646-521-4418; jaime.stein@etrade.com.)

About E*TRADE Financial

The E*TRADE Financial family of companies provides financial services including online brokerage and related banking products and services to retail investors. Specific business segments include Trading and Investing and Balance Sheet Management. Securities products and services, including IRAs, Rollover Specialists, CRPCs and the Retirement Calculator are offered by E*TRADE Securities LLC (Member FINRA/SIPC). Advisory products and services, including OneStop Rollover, are offered through E*TRADE Capital Management LLC an investment adviser registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission. A copy of E*TRADE Capital Management's Form ADV Part 2A, which describes, among other things, affiliations, services offered and fees charged, is available at no cost upon request. Bank products and services are offered by E*TRADE Bank, a Federal savings bank, Member FDIC, or its subsidiaries and affiliates. More information is available at http://www.etrade.com. ETFC-G

Important Notices

See the original post:
Investors Underestimate Retirement Savings Opportunities Says E*TRADE Survey

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Corporate Insight, the leading provider of competitive intelligence to the financial services industry, has announced the launch of a new subscription research service, Retirement Plan Monitor. This new Monitor service will track the website capabilities and marketing materials that retirement plan sponsors provide to plan participants. Corporate Insight will offer subscribers an unbiased, first-hand view of the user experience by monitoring live accounts that are held by actual plan participants at each firm.

Retirement plan participants are increasingly turning to the web to manage their plan investments. Unfortunately, the resources available to them are sometimes sub-par compared to what many brokerages and banks provide to their customers, explains Drew Maresca, senior analyst for Retirement Plan Monitor. Retirement Plan Monitor will provide firms with an informed look at the online capabilities and participant communications that their competitors provide, along with Corporate Insights analysis of industry trends and best practices. We are confident this will make it easier for our subscribers to create a best-in-class online user experience for plan participants.

Corporate Insight will track a number of the industrys top defined contribution plan providers including:

-- MassMutual

-- Mercer

-- New York Life

-- Principal

-- TIAA-CREF

-- T. Rowe Price

Continue reading here:
Corporate Insight Launches Retirement Plan Monitor

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1n0k7d8io2I

30-09-2012 22:14 As it should be, no one will ever wear No. 20 in Eagles history again. The Eagles retired Brian Dawkins' No. 20 during the nationally televised showdown against the New York Giants on Sept. 30.

Link:
Brian Dawkins No. 20 Retired - Halftime Ceremony 9.30.12 at Lincoln Financial Field-Philadelphia - Video

Dear Dr. Don, My husband is 69, and I am 67. Ninety percent of our nest egg is in the stock market, which is presently doing much better on rate of return than any certificate of deposit or other option. Should we have such a large part of our retirement tied up in the market?

Thanks, -- Wendy Worries

Dear Wendy, Stocks are having a great run in 2012. The major U.S. stock market indexes have reached highs they haven't seen since 2007, before the financial crisis. The Standard & Poor's 500 index is up almost 18% year to date (as of mid-September) and by a little more than 27% over the past 12 months. You're not going to get that kind of yield in a CD.

While your nest egg may be heavily invested in stocks, you need to look at your overall financial picture before deciding you're too much into stocks. Are you both receiving Social Security benefits, or are you eligible to receive those benefits once you file for them? Social Security retirement benefits are like an inflation-indexed annuity payment that you'll receive over time. Do either of you receive a pension? The pension payments may not be inflation-indexed, but they also act as an annuity payment.

What I'm getting at is that you should consider how far your low-risk pension and Social Security benefits go toward filling your retirement needs and how much of a gap must be filled by your retirement nest egg. If the investment portfolio is largely for discretionary spending, you can take on more risk than if there's a large income gap not met by your other income sources. Owning your home free and clear also provides a financial safety net with the option to take out a reverse mortgage.

All that aside, your portfolio is probably over-invested in the stock market. I'd suggest paying for a few hours of time for a fee-only financial planner to review your retirement income sources, your retirement income needs and how your portfolio should be invested to meet those needs over time.

Bankrate's content, including the guidance of its advice-and-expert columns and this website, is intended only to assist you with financial decisions. The content is broad in scope and does not consider your personal financial situation. Bankrate recommends that you seek the advice of advisers who are fully aware of your individual circumstances before making any final decisions or implementing any financial strategy. Please remember that your use of this website is governed by Bankrate's Terms of Use.

See the original post here:
Is My Retirement Bet Too Heavily on Stocks?

(MoneyWatch) If you're like most people who are approaching retirement, you've thought long and hard about the answers to these two questions:

- How much money do I need to retire?

- How can I generate a steady stream of income from my retirement savings that lasts the rest of my life no matter how long I live and what happens in the economy?

These are critical questions for most baby boomers who are planning for a retirement that could easily last 20 years or more. And that leads us to the most important question of all: When exactly can I retire?

These three questions have become particularly significant as companies continue to abandon traditional pension plans, meaning plans in which your employer takes responsibility for funding and paying you a monthly retirement income for the rest of your life. Without these safety nets in place, retirement planning now falls heavily on the shoulders of employees everywhere.

With the demise of pension plans, as an employee you're now much more likely to participate in account-based plans, such as a 401(k), 403(b), 457, profit-sharing or cash-balance plans. You might also have substantial savings in an IRA or regular investment accounts. And some of you might elect a lump sum, rather than monthly income, from a traditional pension plan, in which case you face the same challenges.

The biggest retirement planning mistake of all Planning your retirement: The best ways to generate lifetime income Study identifies major flaw with 401(k) plans

With these types of programs, however, you're on your own when it comes to making your money last for the rest of your life. And when your money is exhausted, there'll be nobody there to bail you out, unless you have very generous relatives or friends. Many surveys show that employees approaching retirement are struggling with these issues and need help.

A tale of two retirees

I'd like to tell you two stories about people I know who've had to manage their own retirement savings. These stories contrast the potential outcomes of the challenge of managing your own savings and offer important insights about the strategies that will help you achieve your retirement goals.

See original here:
Your most critical retirement planning challenge

LITTLE ROCK, AR--(Marketwire - Oct 1, 2012) - Most American workers know that retirement is, at least in theory, an option for their lives, but that it is not something that happens all on its own. In order to retire, an individual must plan, save, and invest prudently, often under the guidance of a professional retirement planner. According to a recent U.S. News & World Report article, penned by David Ning, retirement planning is more multi-faceted than many individuals realize. There are numerous portfolio options to consider, writes Mr. Ning, but also considerations about health, family dynamics, and more. The article, which urges pre-retirees to look at their eventual retirement from all angles, has merited a comment from Leek & Associates.

Leek & Associates is a public accounting company based in the Little Rock, Arkansas area. The company was founded in 1987 by Stephen Leek, whose vision for the company is to help businesses and individuals alike meet their financial goals through business valuation, accounting, and tax preparation services. Stephen Leek has issued a new press statement in response to the article from Mr. Ning.

"What a wonderful opportunity we have in our work lives, here in the United States, to be able to consider retirement, since in many countries that is not an option," says Stephen Leek in the Leek & Associates press statement. "To have built the financial portfolio needed even to consider retirement is a testament to one's success, and to years of hard work."

Leek goes on to specify some of the different retirement planning considerations mentioned in the article, which include not just financial concerns, but also concerns about living a healthy and satisfying life even post-career. "There are also the less tangible considerations that Mr. Ning has written about here, those that pertain to the sense of fulfillment one has during the retirement years.Giving back to charitable, educational and ecumenical organizations is high on my list, and staying healthy is a something that should become a daily lifestyle choice in those retirement years."

The Leek & Associates founder concludes with some retirement advice of his own. "I would suggest you consider some cash flowing real estate investments to supplement your income from the stock and bond portfolio, and to address the question of a 'Plan B' should your primary retirement investments not work out," writes Leek. "I personally own some real estate investments and have long advised clients on how to evaluate and invest in them. My Risk/Investment Continuum model can help you enhance your plan."

ABOUT:

Founded in 1987, Leek & Associates is a professional association of certified public accounting firms, its principals devoted to providing high-quality, efficient, and responsive services to business clients throughout the Little Rock area. The firm has been successful for 25 years, which is due to quality of our clients and the competency of our people. The firm provides services to individuals and to non-profit organizations; its services include personal and business financial advisement, management consultation, business valuation, general accounting, and tax preparation. The company is zealous for helping clients identify and meet their financial goals. Leek & Associates was founded by Stephen Leek of Little Rock.

Read more:
Leek & Associates: Retirement Planning Encompasses Financial and Personal Preparation

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) In a story Sept. 28 about a state-run retirement program for private-sector workers in California, The Associated Press reported erroneously that the California Secure Choice Retirement Savings Program would be administered by a seven-member board. The board actually would have nine members.

Also, companion legislation signed by Gov. Jerry Brown requires another vote in the Legislature before the program can be implemented and participants can be enrolled.

A corrected version of the story is below:

Calif. creates state-run private retirement plan

Brown signs bill to create first state-run retirement savings plan for private-sector workers

By JUDY LIN

Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) California Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation Friday that will create the nation's first state-administered retirement savings program for private-sector workers, over the objection of critics who said it creates a new liability for taxpayers.

The bill, SB1234, will establish the California Secure Choice Retirement Savings Program for more than 6 million lower-income, private-sector workers whose employers do not offer retirement plans.

The program directs employers to withhold 3 percent of their workers' pay unless the employee opts out of the savings program, which can be done every two years. It would be administered by a nine-member board chaired by the state treasurer. The board would select a professional fund manager, which could be a private investment firm or the state's public pension system, to maintain the money.

See the original post here:
Correction: Private Sector Retirement story

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcD5Y6RgUxg

30-09-2012 17:42 Hundreds of fans and Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie participated in the jersey retirement of safety Brian Dawkins prior to Sunday night's game against the Giants. By Tom Moore.

Link:
Eagles' Dawkins jersey retirement - Video

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJsLrwt-Es4

29-09-2012 03:24 As Prime Minister Manmohan Singh turns 80, we discuss if netas should have a retirement age or should they never retire. Watch full show:

Read the original here:
PM@80: At what age should politicians retire? - Video

When my organization first introduced its Secure Choice Pension (SCP) proposal in September 2011, we did not see it as an effort to reduce public anger over generous government pensions as some opponents so boldly assert.

To the contrary, we see it as a viable mechanism for giving private-sector workers what they want and what Americas economy needs reliable, lifetime retirement income immune to sudden economic downturns and market fluctuations that will allow those no longer working to contribute to the economy and not become reliant on government programs and entitlements.

When the Great Recession hit four years ago, it quickly deflated the value of 401(k)-style retirement accounts. Since then, workers have, in overwhelming numbers, expressed a desire for a more secure option for their retirement savings.

Not so long ago, private-sector workers enjoyed all three legs of the traditional retirement stool a pension, Social Security and personal savings like 401(k)s. But most private-sector employers have abandoned pensions, Social Security does not provide enough to live on, and even those who have saved diligently for retirement through 401(k)s are exposed to market fluctuations which put substantial portions of their account balances at risk through no fault of their own.

Small-business owners around the nation, and particularly in California, say they feel an obligation to provide retirement benefits and that providing those benefits would help them recruit good employees and boost their bottom lines. But they complain that they cant afford the plans currently available.

Our SCP proposal on which Sens. De Leon and Steinberg modeled Senate Bill 1234 and its California Secure Choice Retirement Savings Program proposes a public-private partnership to create an affordable, easily administered, professionally-managed retirement savings plan that private-sector employers could adopt for their employees.

A late-April survey of 505 California small-business owners with between two and 49 employees reveals widespread support (71 percent) for the De Leon-Steinberg proposal, with backing strong in every part of the state. That support crosses political lines as well with 78 percent of Democrats and 70 percent of Republicans in favor.

Senate Bill 1234 proposes a modest plan to provide modest benefits through conservative investments, leveraging lower-cost professional investment outcomes through economies of scale.

It is intended to address Californias retirement security crisis by providing millions of workers who have no employer-sponsored retirement benefits with access to a plan that their employers can afford. And all of this at no cost to taxpayers.

California taxpayers will most certainly be on the hook if these millions of workers are forced to retire without sufficient assets. Rather than engaging in purchasing, saving and other activities that contribute to the economy and generate tax revenues, they will be relying on public programs and entitlements, depleting public coffers and compromising economic stability and growth.

Visit link:
Pension bill provides needed retirement option