March 2010

Focus

Guiding Clients Through the Transition to Medicare
by Amy E. Buttell
Your aging clients may be confused and in need of help when the time comes to leave individual or employee-based health insurance programs and choose a Medicare plan that's right for them. Do you have the expertise they need?

Columns

Professional Issues:  The Rules of Engagement, Part 2
by Rick Adkins, CFP^®, ChFC, CLU
What CFP practitioners don't know about the Standards of Professional Conduct can be dangerous when it comes to fiduciary duties and establishing the scope of engagement.

Investment Research:  Improving the Adviser-Client Relationship, Part 2
by Bryan Olson, CFA, and Mark W. Riepe, CFA
Your best recommendations won't be effective unless clients follow them. These behavioral finance strategies will help you obtain client buy-in.

Insurance:  Life Insurance Solutions for Estate Tax Challenges
by Peter C. Katt, CFP^®, LIC
The author describes two liquidity life insurance options to help large estates handle difficult to market assets: static-priced no-lapse policies and market-priced no-lapse policies.

Practices:  Staying Relevant
by Vern C. Hayden, CFP^®
Want to stand out from your competition? Two case studies show the importance of focusing on the subjective and qualitative issues in client relationships.

Contributions

Unsafe at Any Speed? The Designed-In Risks of Target-Date Glide Paths
by Zvi Bodie, Ph.D.; Richard K. Fullmer, CFA; and Jonathan Treussard, Ph.D.
Target-date funds are becoming a popular retirement investment vehicle, but varying risks and glide paths make fund comparisons tricky. How can you help your clients avoid buying a "lemon"?

Social Security: When to Start Benefits and How to Minimize Longevity Risk
by William Meyer and William Reichenstein, Ph.D., CFA
For singles and couples, which Social Security strategies maximize present value of benefits and minimize longevity risk? And what about the do-over option?

Asset Allocation for Retirement: Simple Heuristics and Target-Date Funds
by Steven D. Dolvin, Ph.D., CFA; William K. Templeton, Ph.D.; and William J. Rieber, Ph.D.
The authors examine common asset allocation strategies for retirement investing. Their research favors a bold—but risky—strategy and finds that target-date funds might be a viable option for otherwise undisciplined investors.

Departments

Online (PDF | 111 KB)
Starting Thoughts
Observer (PDF | 100 KB)
10 Questions: Mary Anne Ehlert on the Myths, Challenges, and Role of Advisers in Special-Needs Planning (PDF | 103 KB)