Debt Weighs Heavily on Millennials

They may be grappling with debt for decades to come, according to Nationwide Advisory Solutions.

Managing debt is the No. 2 financial concern of Millennials with investable assets of $100,000 or more, cited by 31%, according to the Advisor Authority Study commissioned by Nationwide Advisory Solutions.

By comparison, managing debt is rated fourth by Gen Xers (25%) and does not break the top five for Baby Boomers (13%) or Matures (4%). In fact, Millennials may be grappling with debt for decades to come, Nationwide Advisory Solutions says. While taxes are among the top three financial concerns for every generation, they are the No. 1 concern for Millennials (33% versus 29% of Gen Xers, 31% of Boomers and 30% of Matures). Millennials also say help with managing their taxes is the fourth reason why they would hire an adviser. Additionally, 46% of Millennials say tax reform will increase the likelihood of their working with an adviser within the next 12 months. By comparison, only 38% of Gen Xers, 18% of Boomers and 8% of Matures say the same.

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The Financial Crisis of 2008 and the following Great Recession have made Millennials risk averse and reluctant to invest in the stock market. In fact, they favor cash over stocks, bonds and other asset classes. Furthermore, they are likely to hold twice as much cash in their investment portfolios than any other generation. Nationwide Advisory Solutions says this presents an opportunity for advisers.

Given their younger age, the investment firm says it is somewhat surprising that Millennials are already saving for retirement, which ranked as their fourth-highest financial concern. Their third-highest financial concern is saving enough for retirement, and in both cases, Millennials say these are reasons to hire an adviser.

Seventy-six percent of Millennials say they have a strategy to help protect themselves against outliving their savings, compared to 68% of Gen Xers, 75% of Boomers and 77% of Matures who say the same.

Fifty-three percent of Millennials have a strategy to protect their portfolio against market risk. Among those with such a strategy, they are more likely than other generations to rely on liquid alternatives as their top solution (50% versus 27% of Gen Xers, 33% of Boomers and 22% of Matures). Only 43% of Millennials say they are likely to rely on traditional diversification for risk management, compared to 77% of Gen Xers, 76% of Boomers and 58% of Matures.

Millennials are also generally somewhat more likely to use fixed index annuities (47%), fixed annuities (40%) and market-linked certificates of deposit (39%), and somewhat more likely to rely on sophisticated instruments such as put options (20%) and smart beta exchange-traded funds (ETFs) (16%).

Asked what factors they consider when hiring an adviser, Millennials say experience (35%), followed by offering socially responsible investing (26%) and reducing fees for younger clients (25%).

Lincoln Financial Group Launches ‘IRA Income Plus’ Annuity Rider

The optional living benefit rider is available within Lincoln variable annuities and is designed to help maximize income on qualified money.

Lincoln Financial Group has introduced the “Lincoln IRA Income Plus” optional benefit rider, designed to help owners of Lincoln variable annuities maximize their retirement income on qualified savings being drawn from individual retirement accounts (IRAs).

Lincoln IRA Income Plus is an optional benefit available with Lincoln variable annuities for an additional cost and is designed to help maximize retirement income earlier in retirement years, explains John Kennedy, head of retirement solutions distribution at Lincoln Financial Distributors.

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Explaining why the firm is offering this new product, Kennedy cites LIMRA Secure Retirement Institute research showing current retirees are often overly conservative about withdrawing from the assets they’ve saved. According to the research, four in 10 near-retirees are worried about running out of money. But at the same time, the data shows the majority of actual retirees take withdrawals from their tax-deferred savings only to satisfy their required minimum distributions (RMDs), the amount that must be withdrawn from qualified accounts once they reach age 70 1/2.

“Today’s retirees look to remain invested in the market, allowing their money to continue to grow. But at the same time, they look for protected income that an annuity with optional benefits can help provide,” says Brian Kroll, head of annuity solutions at Lincoln Financial Group. “This new benefit allows them to use a variable annuity with growth and income protection to better support their income needs in the early years of their retirement.”

Lincoln explains that variable annuities are long-term investment products that offer a lifetime income stream, options for guaranteed growth and income (available for an additional charge), and death benefit protection. They are subject to market fluctuation, investment risk, and possible loss of principal, and have unique fees and charges.

Specific features of the Lincoln IRA Income Plus include guaranteed growth for future income, as the income base increases annually by the greater of 6% simple or account value growth; two options for income starting at age 70 or later (single life only); and a dollar-for-dollar GOP death benefit.

More information about the new solution is available here.

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