Diversions March 11, 2010

Men More Sexually Active Than Women Later in Life

Men are more likely than women to be sexually active later in life, according to a new study conducted by University of Chicago researchers.
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The study found that overall men age 57 and older were more likely than women to be sexually active, report a good quality sex life, and be interested in sex—and those differences increase with age.

In the 75- to 85-year-old group, almost 40% of men compared with about 17% of women were sexually active, and about 41% of men reported being interested in sex versus about 11% of women. Furthermore, among those sexually active in that age group, about 70% of men reported having a good quality sex life, compared to about only half of women.

At age 55, “sexually active life expectancy” is 15 years for men and 10.6 years for women. However, while men might have sex for more years than women, the study found men lose more years of sexually active life as a result of poor health than women.

Overall, both men and women in good health were more likely to be sexually active, have sex more frequently, and be interested in sex. Among those reporting good or excellent health, 81% of men and 51% of women said they had been sexually active in the past year, compared to 47% of men and 26% of women reporting fair or poor health.

The study looked at data collected from about 3,000 adults ages 57 to 85 during interviews between July 2005 and March 2006.

Data & Research March 10, 2010

Tax Advisers Expect More than a Third of Clients to Convert to Roth

A Fidelity Investments study found 40% of investors working with tax advisers are now eligible for Roth IRA conversions, and more than a third (35%) are expected to complete a conversion by year-end.
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The survey of nearly 500 tax advisers found 43% of their clients would benefit from a Roth IRA conversion, given two-thirds (66%) of advisers also think income taxes will generally rise in the future, according to Fidelity. Most (88%) advisers also expect discussions with their clients about Roth IRA conversions will increase during the next six months.

Respondents said they start the conversation more than half (59%) of the time, and 57% of their clients are hearing about the opportunity for the first time. While interest levels are high (89%) after these conversations, advisers said their clients express some reservations about converting to a Roth IRA, with the biggest being the potential tax costs (see “Report Warns of Cost of Roth Conversion”).

According to the survey, half of tax adviser clients are planning to pay for a Roth IRA conversion from the account being converted. In addition, the majority (54%) plan to take advantage of the one-time opportunity this year to split the taxable income between their 2010 and 2011 tax filing years.

Of the 35% of clients who are expected to complete a conversion by year end, the majority (91%) have already started or completed the process. Nearly half (44%) of the conversions are $50,000 or more.

Among tax adviser clients who are likely to convert to a Roth IRA this year, half will be converting all eligible assets from accounts such as a Traditional IRA or 401(k) with a former employer.

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