Program In Financial Gerontology To Be Offered At Joint Conference Of The American Society On Aging (ASA) And TheThe National Council On The Aging (NCOA)

San Francisco ,CA and New York , NY , March 8, 2004 – The American Society on Aging (ASA) and the American Institute of Financial Gerontology (AIFG) today announced the offering of a program specifically designed to meet the needs of financial professionals in conjunction with the Joint Conference of ASA and NCOA to be held in San Francisco on April 14-17, 2004.

The good news is that people are living longer, with today’s 60-year-olds anticipating more than 25 years of additional lifespan. But with that increased lifespan comes new challenges. One of the key challenges is that people need to determine how they will provide for their financial needs for many years past traditional retirement, while simultaneously planning for elderly parents.

Increased longevity has compounded these issues by making family caregiving commonplace. According to gerontological researcher Neal E. Cutler, Ph.D., Dean of AIFG, "Nowadays, fully 80% of 50-year olds have at least one living parent. For 60-year olds, it's 50%. Many are currently serving as caregivers for their aging parents, or will in the years ahead. Parental care -- as well as their own -- may be the biggest expense they face for the rest of their lives."

Despite the need for advice that takes into account the entire picture -- health and wealth -- very few people are professionally qualified to work across both areas of knowledge. Since 1990 the emerging field of Financial Gerontology has focused on linking applied research in aging and gerontology to financial expertise. In 2003, the American Institute of Financial Gerontology launched the Registered Financial Gerontologist^TM (RFG) program, a targeted designation for financial service professionals who work with older individuals and families. In effect, this program was designed to bring gerontological education to financial professionals already working in the senior market. Graduates of the Registered Financial Gerontologist program will have the knowledge and skills to: deliver comprehensive financial solutions, armed with increased knowledge of the older client's broad-based needs; enhance their credibility and competitive advantage in the marketplace; and increase sales and improve client service. The RFG curriculum includes four core courses plus a growing selection of electives.  Courses cover topics such as Wealthspan Planning; Aging: Biology, Psychology & Health; Serving the Older Client: Ethics, Legal Issues and Lifespan Development; and Financing Longevity.  This program will be offered April 13-16, 2004 to coincide with the Joint Conference of ASA and NCOA to be held in San Francisco

About AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF FINANCIAL GERONTOLOGY

The American Institute of Financial Gerontology (AIFG) provides a unique program of education, support, and certification to professionals advising older consumers and their families regarding wealth span planning. AIFG also offers a designation program in the field of financial gerontology, Registered Financial Gerontologist^TM. This is designed to enable financial professionals to provide expert, unbiased financial planning information, client-oriented health/wealth solutions and ethical service to older consumers and their families. For more information, please visit www.aifg.org .