Most workers prefer one-on-one financial advice
October 23, 2013 by Paula Aven Gladych
More than half of working Americans say they’d rather receive one-on-one financial advice from a financial advisor.
That according to a TIAA-CREF study that showed that just 36 percent of all workers say they regularly rely on financial advice offered by their employers.
TIAA-CREF’s second annual Financial Advice Survey was conducted by KRC Research and polled a random sample of 1,000 adults nationwide to assess their attitudes, preferences and behaviors about receiving financial advice.
“Convenience, trust and time are key when it comes to receiving financial advice. Today, more than ever, access to financial advice at work can help employees be more intentional about planning for the future and confident about their retirement security,” said Teresa Hassara, executive vice president of TIAA-CREF’s Institutional Business. “With this being National Save for Retirement Week, employers have the perfect opportunity to talk with their employees about saving for retirement and encourage them to take advantage of the resources available through the workplace.”
Trust is a major problem for 50 percent of workers, who say it’s hard to know what sources they can rely on when it comes to financial advice. Nearly one-third of younger workers—those under the age of 35—said they don’t even know where to begin looking for financial advice and they don’t know what questions they should ask a financial advisor.
As noted in TIAA-CREF’s recent white paper, “The value of advice in a retirement plan,” advice on allocating retirement plan contributions and taking better advantage of employer-sponsored plans can push workers toward better-informed financial decisions.
A TIAA-CREF analysis showed 68 percent of those who took advantage of TIAA-CREF’s advice offering chose to either save more, revisit their portfolio allocation or rebalance their portfolio. Among active plan participants, about 46 percent increased their savings rate, which can have dramatic consequences on a retiree’s overall savings.
Originally published on BenefitsPro.com
