Forget the “walks on the beach” stereotype.
Advisors need to help their clients realistically
plan for retirement. Here’s how
by Olivia Mellan
photo-illustration by Randy Pollak
He’s silver-haired and distinguished. She’s cute and toned. They’re sitting in beach chairs watching the sunset, or maybe walking hand
in hand along the water’s edge. They’re relaxed,
contented, affectionate. They’re retired.
We’ve all seen this stereotype in retirement planning ads
and brochures. But with the baby-boom juggernaut now
beginning to roll past 65, the authors of two perceptive new
books say that advisors need to help clients prepare more
realistically for what retirement will be like.
“I think our profession tends to paint retirement as being
too pretty and unrealistic,” says Robert laura, president of
Synergos Financial Group in Howell, Mich., and author of
“Naked Retirement.” “It’s often depicted as an idyllic life of
leisure filled with contentment and joy. But just like any other
phase of life, it can come with a dark
side that’s not usually discussed and
rarely planned for.”
laura’s eyes were opened when he was
discussing plans for his book with a local
doctor. One of the biggest issues with
retirees, the doctor said, was addiction.
