The Pension Advisors company is led by David Krasnow, president
and chief executive officer. His team is focused exclusively on retirement services
and comprehensive retirement planning. Krasnow adds that, in choosing
Independent Financial Group as its new broker/dealer, the firm was “looking for
a broker/dealer that was a good size, but not so big that we would be a small
fish in a big pond.”
David Fischer, chief marketing officer and managing director
of Independent Financial Group, says his firm is looking to bring more “like-minded”
firms into the fold, specifically those who have been successful in the retirement
space.
Just 43% of retirement plan participants over age 50 have considered a formal withdrawal strategy for accumulated assets, according to an OneAmerica survey.
According to the survey from American United Life Insurance
Company, an OneAmerica company, workers over 50 are more likely to have
considered how to pay for health care after they retire than they are to have
formed an income plan—with 64% of respondents saying they’ve considered
post-retirement health care expenses.
“We’re glad consumers are considering health care as a major
part of retirement expenses—as they should—but they also need to have a plan
for how to withdraw retirement assets and maintain an income throughout their
life,” explains Marsha Whitehead, vice president of marketing for retirement
services and employee benefits at OneAmerica. “Managing income in retirement is
especially important given the additional healthcare expenses and the uncertainty
of how long you’ll need it.”
One example of a post-retirement income strategy is to
consider annuities, the firm suggests. As long-term, tax-deferred investment
options, annuities can provide a fixed or variable stream of income during
retirement. Among the participants who have a withdrawal strategy, 51% have
considered annuitizing at least a portion of their assets.
OneAmerica surveyed visitors to its retirement plan
participant website to better understand their behaviors and learn which
resources might help them prepare for retirement. As detailed in OneAmerica’s infographic, 57% of participants say they are
not contributing more to their retirement plan due to other financial
commitments. Online education has also gained more popularity among
participants, with 56% favoring online tools such as videos and other
interactive content.
People
are also attempting to cut down on costs by not hiring someone to assist with
retirement planning or with their overall financial dilemmas. The survey
reveals that 20% of participants don’t work with a financial professional
“because it’s too much of an expense.”