Description: With the decline in traditional defined benefit plans, cutbacks in Social Security already legislated, and further ones possibly needed to maintain solvency, retirees increasingly must rely on their own ability to manage their retirement income. Relatively few retirees purchase annuities, leaving them with investment and distribution decisions concerning their accumulated savings. Increasing life expectancy and improved health at older ages raise the issue of whether people should consider postponing retirement as a way of assuring adequate resources during retirement. During retirement, they face complex issues concerning how to manage various risks. Increasingly, people planning for retirement have access to financial planning software, much of it available over the internet for free. This study, sponsored by the Society of Actuaries and the Actuarial Foundation, assesses the extent to which the retirement planning programs analyzed help users understand post-retirement risks.

Description: This is the Executive Summary of the results of a study, sponsored by the Society of Actuaries and the Actuarial Foundation, which assesses the extent to which retirement planning software programs help users understand post-retirement risks.

Description: This report reviews retirement planning software programs currently available to individuals and their professional advisors. The report does not rate or recommend specific programs. Rather, it explains how programs that are currently available work, and what features can be improved.

Description: This is the Executive Summary of the results of a study, sponsored by the Society of Actuaries and the Actuarial Foundation, which assesses the extent to which retirement planning software programs help users understand post-retirement risks.

Description: This software was developed as a pedagogical tool to help demonstrate the impact of a change in retirement income strategy on potential financial outcomes. A user can consider various strategies of longevity and asset performance risk transferal and observe the resulting changes on a range of modeled outcomes. The overall purpose is to provide an understanding of the trade–offs of risk and reward in retirement strategies. The software is not intended as a comprehensive retirement planning tool and should not be used, under any situation, for this purpose.

Description: This software was developed as a pedagogical tool to help demonstrate the impact of a change in retirement income strategy on potential financial outcomes. A user can consider various strategies of longevity and asset performance risk transferal and observe the resulting changes on a range of modeled outcomes. The overall purpose is to provide an understanding of the trade–offs of risk and reward in retirement strategies. The software is not intended as a comprehensive retirement planning tool and should not be used, under any situation, for this purpose.