Wednesday, July 2, 2003

Why are so many retirees in financial trouble?

It seems like you can't pick up a newspaper or magazine without seeing an article about someone losing their retirement savings in the recent bear market. Ironically, most of the stories are about people who thought they were prepared to take the plunge, only to wake up in an ocean of financial trouble. Why is it that after one of the greatest runs in stock market history so many people have lost their grip on a secure retirement?

"An entire generation of retirees is in trouble," said financial educator and CPA Paul Grangaard. "It's a shame that on the heels of one of the greatest bull markets this country has ever seen so many seniors are being forced to scuttle their retirement plans. It didn't have to be this way."

Having trained financial professionals for years, Grangaard knew there was a better way, so he decided it was time to take his investment message directly to consumers. The result is his new book, "The Grangaard Strategy Invest Right During Retirement."

"The problem is, we've been so focused on accumulating money for retirement, we forgot that it has to be managed during retirement too," noted Grangaard. "And now, one generation is gasping for air, while another 65 million people are following right behind." His new book guides readers through the "Twelve Principles of Twenty-First-Century Retirement Investing," and demonstrates how to protect yourself from the kinds of investment markets we're seeing today.

The last three years haven't been easy for anyone, but they've been particularly hard on retirees. Younger investors have time to ride out the ups and downs in the stock market, but older investors need income so they have to sell stocks periodically. And you don't want to do that when markets are heading south.

But many retirees are selling because they need the money. Despite the fact that stocks were recently at all-time highs, and previous year returns were well above what anyone could ever have expected, too many retirees failed to capitalize on one of the best opportunities in history to secure a comfortable retirement.

"Unfortunately, time is running out, and millions of retirees and pre-retirees need to learn how to manage their money more effectively in retirement," said Grangaard. "Over 35,000 people retire every week, and the decisions they make today and tomorrow will affect them and their families for decades."

"Most people don't realize that retirement investing is primarily about income, and only secondarily about returns," he adds. Locking up income whenever possible while staying invested for growth are the twin pillars of retirement financial success. "Maintaining the balance between safer, lower-return fixed income investments and riskier, higher-return growth investments is the only way to sleep better at night and live better during the day," said Grangaard, "and sadly, few people know how to do it."

Among the strategies laid out in his book are: "Invest in the Right Stuff" (principle #5), which explains how to maintain the proper balance between fixed income and stock market investments. "Diversify" (principle #6), illustrates why it's important to own a variety of stock market investments so you're always likely to have something ready to sell when you need more income. "Take Action Now" (Principle #12), shows readers how to pull everything together to create their own retirement plan.

Employers have been shifting away from the old-fashioned pension plans that provided guaranteed income for life and were managed by highly trained professionals. They're replacing them with a variety of accounts like IRAs and 401(k) plans that require people to manage their own affairs. "Essentially, all working Americans have been turned into pension plan managers, but unfortunately, we haven't provided the training," said Grangaard.

He notes that tomorrow's retiree's don't know any more about managing money during retirement than today's retirees. "Despite the fact that they recently experienced some of the best investment markets of all time, today's retirees don't seem to be doing very well," notes Grangaard. "What a shame and what a frightening prospect for the future."

The good news is that despite what's happened recently, it's never too late to improve your own financial situation. "You can take control of your future and start recovering today," said Grangaard.

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