Financial Advisors’ Attitudes and Perceptions About
Retirement Income and Asset Distribution Management

A multi-sponsor in-depth study of financial advisors’ current actions, attitudes, perceptions, and future needs with respect to distribution planning, post-retirement income and asset management products and services.

Increasing numbers of Americans are retiring and are faced with increasingly complex financial options and decisions. The vast majority of these people turn to "financial advisors" (financial planners, stock brokers, insurance agents, fee based planners, and banking personnel) for education and advice on how to manage their retirement finances. These financial advisors are, in effect, the gatekeepers who determine what financial strategies are employed for retirement income and asset management and, ultimately, what investment products are selected by their clients.

After the "bull" market of the 90’s, investors and their advisors experienced significant pressure on their investable assets and individual retirement savings. This has led to a reevaluation of retirement investment strategies, particularly for those who must rely substantially on their individual savings to provide living benefits throughout their retirement years.

The Diversified Services Group, Inc. (DSG) added to its portfolio of syndicated research initiatives (The RM²Reports) by conducting a qualitative assessment and evaluation of financial advisors and management personnel from the primary distribution channel categories who are active in the retirement distribution and income planning market. This unique study examined how attitudes have changed among financial advisors, how they have modified the advice they are giving their older clients, and what type of retirement planning processes and retirement income products and services they are using.

The Project Overview:

The primary objective of this project was to help sponsor companies better understand financial intermediary views about the retirement income market, thereby providing additional insight to develop and retain relationships with distributors and their representatives.

Through a series of 29 individual, in-depth interviews with successful retirement market oriented financial advisors and field management personnel, the study addresses issues such as:

1. What are individual advisors’ perceptions and approaches today, and how have they responded to market changes?
2. How are advisors acquiring clients for their retirement income practice?
3. What retirement planning processes are they utilizing and what advice are they providing?
4. What products and services are they most likely to recommend to provide income to their retired or soon to be retired clients?
5. What are their perceived needs and outlook for the future?

Covered topics included areas such as:

• Financial Advisors’ understanding of distribution planning, retirement income and asset management issues and products.
• Tools used for helping clients develop a retirement income plan.
• Educational needs for financial advisors and their clients towards different distribution or income generation options. Sales support, products, and product features: needed vs. currently available.
• Satisfaction with current compensation scheme and reactions to possible compensation alternatives.
• Perception of "best in class" retirement income product providers.

How This Research Study Can Help Your Company

The study results will show sponsors what they must do to work more effectively with financial advisors to ensure that they are able to better serve their clients and to attract and retain a greater portion of retirement assets. It will provide a better understanding of the needs of retirement-oriented financial advisors and the most attractive retirement-oriented products, services and programs for these advisors and their clients.

This study is one in a growing series of retirement research programs, the RM² Reports™, conducted by DSG for financial services companies. It is designed to help strategists and marketers determine an optimum approach to asset distribution planning and retirement income management through intermediaries.

Project Deliverables:

The Study of Financial Advisors’ Attitudes and Perceptions About Asset Management and Retirement Income Management is the latest in the RM² Reports Series™, focused on business and marketing issues pertaining to pre-retired and retired Americans.

The Report provides a useful framework, actionable insights, and relevant market information drawn from this qualitative research to help management better understand and act on financial advisors' perspectives on the retirement income management market opportunity.

Project deliverables include:

• A bound, written report, including an executive summary and the interview guide that was used during the research phase of the project.
• An unbound copy of the written report.
• A disk containing copies of the full report in PDF format.

Discussion and Presentation:

DSG Principals will be glad to discuss the study and their findings informally with study sponsors via telephone. As an additional planning option for subscribers, DSG will facilitate an in-depth client meeting, including a formal presentation of results and discussion of implications and opportunities for your firm.

Client companies have found such presentations to be an excellent way to optimize their use of the study findings. Such meetings can create a common understanding of broader corporate interests in asset retention and strategies to address asset retention and retirement management market opportunities.

There would be an additional charge for this program. DSG’s pricing is based upon the customization needed to address a specific company’s situation and needs.

For more information about maximizing your firm's use of the study through a workshop presentation and discussion of the study results, please contact Borden Ayers, by calling 610-989-1710, ext:21, sending an e-mail to BordenA@dsg-network.com or click below to submit a request.

Prospectus:

Please click here to submit a request.

An in-depth study of Financial Advisors’ attitudes and perceptions regarding retirement distribution planning and retirement income and asset management in uncertain financial times...

The Study of Financial Advisors’ Attitudes and Perceptions About Asset Management and Retirement Income Management is the latest in the RM² Reports Series™, focused on business and marketing issues pertaining to pre-retired and retired Americans.

Table of Contents:

Pricing: Financial Advisors’ Attitudes and Perceptions About Asset Distribution and Retirement Income Management (Qualitative):

The cost of the complete study is $6,000. Reduced pricing is available to RMEF member firms and BISA Members.

Note: A Separate FPA Quantitative Study on the Financial Advisors’ Attitudes and Perceptions About Asset Distribution and Retirement Income Management is also available, click here for more info.

The cost of the complete study is $3,750.

MORE INFORMATION

©2008 The Diversified Services Group, Inc., All rights reserved