TD AMERITRADE Rolls Out Small-Business Retirement Tools

Small-business owners now have a new place to go for information about retirement planning.

TD AMERITRADE Holding Corporation has unveiled an enhanced site that it said offers a more user-friendly platform, new retirement planning tools, and “content tailored to distinct life phases.”

Part of that new offering is a new Small Business Retirement portal that offers information and tools from third-party providers to guide small-business owners though the retirement process.

In addition to the small business focus, the site also offers IRA Selection Wizard, a new tool that helps investors determine what type of IRA account investors qualify for, and to help them better understand the potential advantages of each account type;and WealthRuler, a tool that helps investors assess their retirement readiness.

Other Tools

According to the announcement, investors also have access to:

  • a portfolio diversification tutorial;
  • information about college savings options, such as the 529 plan; and
  • Bond Wizard, which takes investors through a step-by-step process to help find bonds to “best fit their needs from long term investing to income solutions,” according to TD AMERITRADE.

“We looked at how our clients interacted with our Web site and discovered that there was a need for a more robust retirement planning experience,” said Diane Young, director, retirement and goal planning, TD AMERITRADE, in announcing the new tools. “These enhancements allow investors to select the appropriate life phase—planning and accumulating stage, nearing retirement or in retirement—and easily choose an action plan to help get started. The site offers something everyone can benefit from: easy-to-use, interactive tools and information, paired with objective investment guidance.”

The online resource can be found under the “Planning & Retirement” tab at TDAMERITRADE.com, or directly here

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'Retirement Plan' Is to Work Longer

Most Americans plan to work as long as they can, and are investing their retirement money without the help of a financial adviser, a Bankrate survey found.

The study is the latest indication that the nation’s economic downturn is affecting the retirement landscape. The survey found that 75% of those polled plan to work as long as they can after retirement age, and nearly a third of those said they will have to keep punching a time clock because they will need the money. Four in 10 respondents said the bad economy has forced them to postpone retirement.

When it comes to the size of their retirement nest egg, the survey found 55% of retirees polled wish they had salted away more money; 38% said they were confident they would have enough.

While the turmoil in the economy might be keeping a lot of people behind a desk longer than they had planned, the Bankrate poll found only 14% reshuffled their portfolios to take a more conservative investment approach with their retirement assets. Meanwhile, 53% of respondents left their asset allocation alone.

Respondents didn’t have much of an organized plan for their retirement investments, as almost 40% said they are investing for retirement on their own with, 16% using an asset allocation plan, 15% picking mutual funds based upon performance, and 8% with a target-date fund. Twenty-seven percent use a financial adviser for decisions while, 18% don’t invest in a retirement plan, and 9% don’t utilize any organized strategies.

“This poll offers an interesting insight into Americans’ views of employment and retirement,” said Julie Bandy, editor-in-chief at Bankrate.com. “Seventy-five percent of today’s generation plan to work as long as possible, a far cry from that of previous generations. Falling home values and losses in retirement accounts are forcing many Americans to re-evaluate their retirement needs.”

Commissioned by Bankrate.com, Princeton Survey Research Associates International conducted a phone survey of 1,003 adults 18 or older, including 509 who are currently employed.

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