Over the course of the next 10 years, 48% of Gen Xers and 64% of Millennials plan to allocate more of their assets to financial advisors¹. That could be great news for you, provided you understand these groups aren’t particularly interested in what Archer Investment Management advisor Nina O’Neal describes as “working with [their] dad’s guy.¹”

Saving and retirement. The two are inextricably linked in the majority of your clients’ minds. As their advisor, you may have even encouraged this practice while they were accumulating wealth and investing it in their futures.

Now those same clients are retired, and hesitant to spend the savings they put aside for their golden years. Why?

Most Americans are acutely aware of their financial situations. A recent CareerBuilder poll reflects that 78% of full-time workers — including some who make $100,000+ annually — live paycheck to paycheck in order to make ends meet¹. At least 71% of those polled admit to being in debt, with a nearly even split in how that debt is viewed. 46% find it manageable, and 56% state they’re in over their heads².

National Annuity Awareness month is a great time to introduce and discuss the overall benefits of annuities to your clients.

Retirement is often much-anticipated. However, for investors currently nearing that life goal, their golden years may be looking a little tarnished. 

The cause for concern stems from market performance. While near record high stock valuations and historically low bond yields generally bode well for investor confidence, they “make it a risky time to retire,” according to Michael Kitces, partner and director of research at Pinnacle Advisory Group¹. He points to the P/E (CAPE) ratio as evidence of a probable market swing:

Retirement looks different for everyone. Some dream of world travel or a vacation home, while others want the financial security to comfortably cover everyday living expenses and a few luxuries. Regardless of the retirement goal, accomplishing it requires diligent saving and smart financial planning — and that has many American workers on edge.

Investors can best understand the current equity market sell-off by recognizing that cyclical bull markets are routinely punctuated by temporary intra-cycle corrections. The current sell-off is the sixth such episode since the equity bull market began in 2009, and the intra-cycle decline differs from the previous five in that it was not triggered by fears of imminent recession. In addition, the current episode is occurring in an environment of lofty valuations and greater investor optimism, compared with distinct undervaluation and widespread risk aversion prevailing during previous interim market declines.

The quarterly Retirement Readiness Index (RRI), which accompanied the latest Retirement Advisor Confidence Index (RACI) from Financial Planning, reflects that investors were significantly more risk averse in the first quarter of 2018 than in the 12 months prior:

Most recent inflation data depict that mild inflationary pressures are building, consistent with a maturing business expansion. However, powerful structural forces that limit business pricing power suggest that the cyclical rise in inflation will be moderate compared with previous cycles. 

The latest numbers are in, and retirees will likely experience some sticker shock when it comes to healthcare costs. According to Fidelity Investments, a healthy 65-year old couple retiring in 2018 can anticipate needing $280,000 to cover healthcare costs¹. For healthy individuals retiring in 2018, the outlook is equally as alarming. A single man will need an estimated $133,000, and a single woman $147,000¹.