Description: The importance of financial wellness has been increasingly recognized in the last few years. More organizations are sponsoring programs to assist people in different stages of their life.

Description: The Society of Actuaries (SOA) Research Institute released initial findings from its biennial Retirement Risk Survey to gain insights into financial retirement risks and help improve financial planning strategies.

Description: Presentation provided at the 55th Actuarial Research Conference Session on Retirement Risks: Pre and Post-COVID-19 - Findings from the 2019 Retirement Risk Survey

Description: The prospects of longer retirement durations driven by the continued improvement in mortality, changes in social insurance “normal” retirement ages, and/or socio-economic factors, have made several decisions about retirement more important.

Description: There is no silver bullet to improving retirement income outcomes for retirees. However, a combination of changes can be of significant value in addressing this overlooked issue. Although QLACs on the surface have potential value, they are not nearly as efficient as they could be. So far, employer plans have provided limited options for retirement income solutions. IRAs may not cost effectively serve the best interest of retirees. Employer plans should be encouraged to become retirement income providers and alternative approaches should be considered. The current prohibition on allowing plans to modify benefit payouts based on mortality experience should be reconsidered to allow for innovative plan income designs. Improvements to the deaccumulation stage of the retiree nest egg are challenging yet necessary.

Description: Describes the challenges of using replacement ratios for retirement planning and suggests alternative approaches including spending strategies such as the 4% rule or divide your age by 20 (Feel Free spending) rule. Identifies and prioritizes different types of spending needs including sustenance, lifestyle, health care and bequest. In addition the article provides data showing how spending typically drops as retirees age and discusses how to take this into account when planning when to retire or how much to spend in retirement.

Description: This article helps illustrate that a guaranteed income stream in retirement has much more value than merely longevity protection. Used properly, a payout annuity is also a hedge against one's retirement nest egg evaporating, leaving the retiree living check to check on a fixed income only. The article will be of interest to those involved in product development and design, sales and marketing, and payout annuities or guaranteed withdrawal benefits in general.

Description: Material highlighting important findings for the biennial survey, Risks and Process of Retirement.

Description: Fact sheet about the report series highlighting SOA research on post-retirement risks.

Description: This report pulls together various findings on long-term care research from the 2017 Risks and Process in Retirement Survey as well as other SOA research.