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About the "How Can I Afford Retirement?" Series

 

Funded by the Investor Protection Trust (IPT), a nonprofit organization devoted to investor education, this program series held at The Boston Public Library between April 2008 and November 2009, was created in collaboration with the Massachusetts Securities Division and the Financial Planning Association of Massachusetts.

 

This series is being offered nationwide at libraries and is part of the Investor Education in Your Community Program.



The program is designed for individuals at all levels of investment knowledge who are either approaching retirement or are recently retired. The purpose is to provide access to objective, non commercial information about investments so that individuals can make informed choices, not be negatively impacted by misleading advice, and can learn ways to better manage their retirement investments.

 

At these events, participants:

·        learn about the investment process from financial experts

·        discover the financial resources available at and through your public library

·        participate in a small group discussion forum following each presentation

 

The four part series includes:

 

 Session I - Taking the Mystery Out of Retirement Planning

·        Setting retirement goals

·        Projecting retirement income and expenses

·        Allocating assets for retirement investments

·        Developing a personal financial/investment plan

·        Using online retirement planning tools

 

 Session I -  Closing the Gap:  Investment and Expense Strategies - Even for Late Starters!

·        Determining the gap between desired and projected income

·        Building investment strategies to address financial gaps

·        Creating retirement income from investment assets

·        Learning catch-up provisions

 

Session 3 -Investing Wisely to Avoid the Financial Risk of Longer Life Expectancy

·        Assessing the risk of outliving your assets

·        Determining the best diversification, asset allocation and types of investments

·        Understanding the impact of withdrawal rates on your investments

 

Session 4 - Protecting Your Investments - The Best Defense is a Wise and Safe Investor

·        Learning the common investment and retirement planning mistakes

·        Understanding common methods of financial fraud and abuse

·        Discovering basic insurance investment strategies for retirement

 

Each session includes a lecture, discussion groups and Q&A session with financial experts as well as resource tables provided by the U.S. Department of Labor, the Social Security Administration and the Massachusetts Securities Division.

 

Co-Sponsors of the Program Series:

 

 

The Boston Public Library has a long tradition of providing investor resources and educational programming to the public and business community. The BPL has hosted more than 10,000 public programs last year. BPL reference staff responded to almost one million reference questions in person, phone and email  The Kirstein Business Library is a specialized business reference and research service of the Boston Public Library.

 

 

The primary mission of the Massachusetts Securities Division is investor protection. Consistent with that mission, the Division works to ensure a free and competitive securities market in Massachusetts , thereby increasing investor confidence, encouraging the formation of capital, and supporting the creation of new jobs in Massachusetts .  The Massachusetts Securities Division is a co-sponsor in supporting the goal of this program to provide objective, non-commercial investor education to the Boston Public Library community.  

 

The “How Can I Afford Retirement?” project is funded by a grant from the Investor Protection Trust  (IPT).  The IPT is a nonprofit organization devoted to investor education.  Since 1993 the Investor Protection Trust has worked with the States and at the national level to provide the independent, objective investor education needed by all Americans to make informed investment decisions.

 

 

The Investor Protection Institute (IPI) is a nonprofit organization that promotes investor protection by conducting and supporting research and education programs.

 

 

 

 

The Financial Planning Association™ of Massachusetts (FPAMA) helps people improve their lives by emphasizing the benefits of financial planning. Their vision is furthered through a professional code of ethics, continuing professional education and philanthropic community involvement.  FPA™ MA honors itself and inspires others by recommending legislation, elevating public awareness, promoting financial literacy and advocating for sound economic and tax policies.

As a co-sponsor, the FPAMA, through its pro bono division, is providing financial experts as well as content for the presentations.

 

Any information requested will be used only by The Boston Public Library and the Investor Protection Trust to keep registered participants informed of non-commercial investor education and protection activities at the library. It will not be provided to other parties.