March 3, 2008 issue

Needed: 50,000 new financial planners, and in a hurry. Boomers are reaching pre-retirement and retirement age, and, often, they’re clueless about what to do with their money now. They’re eager for help with decisions that could make or break their lives: Can I afford to retire? Should I take a pension or a lump sum? What’s a suitable investment? How do I make my nest egg last? There aren’t enough people trained to answer those questions well, says Deena Katz, associate professor in the Personal Financial Planning department of Texas Tech University in Lubbock.

As always, the issue is quality, and the financial sharks are circling. “That keeps me up at night,” says Sheryl Garrett, founder of Garrett Planning Network, an association of nearly 300 independent planners. “There are so many people drooling over all the money that’s going to be coming out of retirement plans.”

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