Financial Planners Find Few Nest Eggs

Financial planners are raising concerns that consumers aren't saving enough for retirement and may not be able to retire comfortably.

Those are some of the results of a poll conducted by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants in January.

Some 180 certified public accountants were asked what concerns their clients raised when planning for their retirement.

Of those consumers who felt their retirement goals were on target, most were worried that taxes would consume much of their income. Others said they had delayed planning because of insufficient income or lack of knowledge about investment strategies.

James A. Shambo, chairman of the institute's personal financial planning division, traces many of the problems back to the 1970s when he said consumers developed a "live for today" attitude that has persisted.

"Americans were encouraged to go into debt, acquire as much real estate as possible, then ride the wave," he said.

He added that financial planners today should encourage consumers to start saving early and help "unravel the complexities of financial products."

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