“What Today’s Woman Needs to Know and Do: the New Retirement Journey

Copyright:	Copyright Business Wire 2011
Source:	Business Wire, Inc.
Wordcount:	724

WESTPORT, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- To help today’s women better prepare for the challenges related to retirement planning, the MetLife Mature Market Institute, in conjunction with WISER (Women’s Institute for a Secure Retirement), is offering a comprehensive free publication called “What Today’s Woman Needs to Know and Do: The New Retirement Journey.” The publication is available at www.MatureMarketInstitute.com.

“What Today’s Woman Needs to Know and Do” addresses specific challenges women face and can help with financial planning questions. The booklet contains a Retirement Savings and Planning Checklist for each decade with guidelines for women from their 20s to their 70s. It also has a glossary that defines terms like annuity, asset allocation, IRA, reverse mortgage and time horizon and includes a number of resources women can look to for further retirement investigation and planning.

There are many challenges facing women today, and financial planning is a big one. A recent White House report indicated that women continue to earn less than men, and data from the MetLife Mature Market Institute study, “Finances and Females Executives,” reported that 62% of career women fear they may never have enough money to retire.

“While women today have more economic opportunity than ever before, they also have a great deal more financial responsibility,” said Sandra Timmermann, Ed.D., director of the MetLife Mature Market Institute. “Compared to previous generations of women who likely had a pension (either theirs or their husband’s) and a deed to their mortgage-free home, many of today’s women are less prepared. They may now have a 401(k), 403(b) and/or IRA savings, a Social Security benefit and Medicare benefits, but they may not have pensions and private health care coverage. Many are likely to have a mortgage or other debt. New approaches are, therefore, required.”

The publication addresses topics like considering a new job, taking time out for family, deciding when to retire, how to decide when to take Social Security benefits and the value of staying in the workforce. It also has a section on learning the investment basics, which covers:

• How Much You Will Need
• How Long Between Now and Your Retirement
• Risk and Return: The Yin and Yang of Investing
• How Not to Run Out of Money
• Ways to Tap Home Equity
• Protecting Your Assets: Disability Insurance, Long-Term Care Insurance, Life Insurance, Health Insurance

“Given the increasing financial responsibility that most of today’s women have on their shoulders, it’s difficult to have everything in place at once,” said Cindy Hounsell, J.D., president of WISER. “Ideally, women should begin planning ahead and taking steps we convey in this publication, if they haven’t already. A good start is developing good financial habits as early as possible, and establishing the framework to accumulate and protect income for emergencies and retirement.”

“What Today’s Woman Needs to Know and Do: The New Retirement Journey” and two other publications, “The MetLife Study of Finances and Female Executives,”and planning tips, “Memo to Professional Women: Own Your Retirement Security,”may be downloaded from www.MatureMarketInstitute.com. They can also be ordered through Contact Us on the MetLife Mature Market Institute Web site, or by writing to: MetLife Mature Market Institute, 57 Greens Farms Road, Westport, CT 06880.

WISER

The Women’s Institute for a Secure Retirement works to provide women at all income levels (aged 18 to 70) with basic financial information aimed at helping them take financial control over their lives and to increase awareness of the structural barriers that prevent women’s adequate participation in the nation’s retirement systems. www.wiserwomen.org

The MetLife Mature Market Institute®

The MetLife Mature Market Institute is MetLife’s center of expertise in aging, longevity and the generations and is a recognized thought leader by business, the media, opinion leaders and the public. The Institute’s groundbreaking research, insights, strategic partnerships and consumer education expand the knowledge and choices for those in, approaching or working with the mature market.

The Institute supports MetLife’s long-standing commitment to identifying emerging issues and innovative solutions for the challenges of life. MetLife, Inc. is a leading global provider of insurance, annuities and employee benefit programs, serving 90 million customers in over 60 countries. Through its subsidiaries and affiliates, MetLife holds leading market positions in the United States, Japan, Latin America, Asia Pacific, Europe and the Middle East. For more information, please visit: www.MatureMarketInstitute.com

DJC CommunicationsDebra Caruso, (212) 907-0051
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MetLifeShalana Morris, (212) 578-1115
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MetLifeJoseph Madden, (212) 578-3021
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Source: MetLife