Northwestern Mutual Debunks Millennials’ Money Misconceptions

Even if they are earning little, they need to start saving for retirement early on in life.

For financial literacy month, Northwestern Mutual is debunking five myths Millennials may think about managing their money. “Financial literacy can be an intimidating topic for anyone, let alone for individuals who are just starting out in life, like Millennials,” says Emily Holbrook, young personal market director for Northwestern Mutual. “We feel it’s important for us to be a source of help and information for Millennials, and to break down some of the barriers and common misconceptions they may have about financial concepts.”

1.) Myth: I’m in debt from my student loans and can’t afford to save right now.

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Northwestern Mutual says that even Millennials can’t afford not to save. In fact, even if they have debt from college loans, they are likely to be earning more than someone who has not gone to college and, therefore, are in a better position to save. The firm also tells Millennials that if they don’t begin saving and face an emergency, they could get further in debt.

2.) Myth: I’m too young for life insurance.

Northwestern Mutual says adults are never too young to get life insurance, and, in fact, the younger you are, the lower the cost will be. Millennials also need to know that permanent life insurance can have a cash value and living benefits.

3.) I don’t make enough money to meet with a financial representative.

There is no minimum income requirement to meet with a financial representative, Northwestern Mutual says, and there is much to gain. They can help you understand how to make your money work for you, including how to save, spend, grow and protect your income.

4.) Myth: I don’t need to purchase additional disability insurance because my employer benefits cover my needs.

While most employers do offer basic insurance as part of their benefits package, most plans only partially cover the employee, leaving a vulnerable gap in the event of a disability, according to Northwestern Mutual. Most people can’t live off only 40% or 60% of their income, which is what could happen if there is an accident or unfortunate circumstance that prevents you from working.

5.) Myth: I can’t afford to invest in my retirement if I’m not earning enough money.

Even if it’s only 1% of your income to start with, it’s critical to start early to save for retirement, Northwestern Mutual says. Each year, try to increase your contributions to your retirement fund by 1% until you are maximizing your contributions, the firm recommends. By starting early, you can also take better advantage of compounding, which can really add up over the years.

Northwestern Mutual has created a financial guidance page on its website to help educate investors, be they Millennials or any other demographic group.

Sponsors Want More Frequent Plan Reviews

When reviews do take place, they often fail to focus on participants’ retirement outlook.

Retirement plan sponsors would like their advisers to review their plans more frequently, and when they do, to focus more on what the sponsors consider important, according to research from MassMutual Retirement Services.

Fifty-seven percent of sponsors would like advisers to review their plans semiannually or more frequently, yet only 44% of advisers do so.

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“Frequent, focused plan reviews are essential to assess the ongoing effectiveness of a retirement plan and to help ensure that plan participants are saving enough to retire when they reach their traditional retirement age,” says Tom Foster, spokesperson and practice management leader for MassMutual Retirement Services. “It’s a clear opportunity for financial advisers to improve and build their retirement plan practices.”

Plan reviews can lead to improvements such as new plan designs to better meet an employer’s objectives, Foster says. Any improvements to a plan should generally start with a careful review and include consultation with plan legal counsel and other experienced advisers, as appropriate, he adds. However, when reviews do take place, advisers and employers fail to focus on savings rates and retirement outlook, he says.

“Unfortunately, only one in four sponsors reviews its plan to determine whether employees are actually saving enough to retire,” Foster says. “This points to a missed opportunity on the part of both advisers and sponsors. We need to focus more on the effectiveness of the retirement plan and educational programs to help ensure that working Americans are saving enough to retire on their own terms.”

Greenwald & Associates polled 565 employers that sponsor retirement plans for MassMutual.

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