At 95, Nola Ochs became the oldest college graduate; skydiver Mary Armstrong celebrated her 90th birthday with a 12,000 foot jump; and at 93, Bert Kilbride was still scuba divingToday, 80 and older is the fastest growing segment of the total U.S. population. Dramatic growth in life expectancies and energetic lifestyles are now enabling us to live 20 to 25% of our lives in active retirement.

Recognizing Americans are living longer than ever before, many financial advisors and tax professionals have created niche specialties focusing on creating highly personalized financial longevity strategies you can start implementing at any age to plan for the future - today.

Ready for Retirement?

Virtually every week on The Today Show, Willard Scott congratulates centenarians celebrating long lives but he doesnt address serious concerns like Did you save enough for such a long retirement horizon? and How is inflation eroding your purchasing power?

Considering a myriad of variables can impact retirement income, working with a financial advisor to develop a personalized portfolio can help you reap the benefits of services such as in-depth analysis of current economic outlooks; and vigilant monitoring of international conditions influencing optimal ways to take advantage of global market trends.

So you can be the master of your own destiny, financial advisors can also help devise master financial plans determining how a good asset allocation strategy can help manage investment opportunities and risks. A trusted financial advisor can help you set realistic goals and develop a financial plan to meet them; live within your means; gain a basic education about investments, taxes, insurance, estate and retirement planning; and suggest ways you can diversify so you dont have too many eggs in one basket.

Ric Edelman, heralded as the nations #1 independent financial advisor, hosts a radio talk show routinely featuring segments on how to prepare for retirement. Primary considerations he recommends include: Determining how much money youll spend monthly; anticipating the cost of health care; purchasing long-term care insurance; refinancing your mortgage; boosting cash reserves; evaluating sources of income; revising investment strategies to keep pace with the rising cost of living; and reviewing your estate plan.

Take Stock of Options If youre investing in stocks, your financial advisor should provide you with a wide range of stock investing services such as developing personal asset allocation strategies; selecting individual stocks; assisting with decisions about when to buy and sell stocks; and frequently providing stock portfolio reviews.

Potential investors need to explore questions such as What are my investment goals? How much risk am I willing to take? and How can my stock investments work with the rest of my investment portfolio? Beyond stocks and investmentproducts, discussions with financial advisors may also encompass the merits of annuities, bonds, CDs, exchange traded funds, futures and commodities, IRAs, market linked investments, mutual funds and unit investment trusts.

Go With the Pros

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Plan for ‘financial longevity’