Lincoln, Neb. //July 16, 2008//Ameritas Advisor Services, a division of Ameritas Life Insurance Corp., today, today announced a study conducted in April 2008 by Chicago-based Spectrem Group found many advisors are dated in their knowledge of retirement income planning products and strategies. This finding is startling, as retirement planning among investors, particularly baby boomers, is currently on the rise.

The study found that although 63 percent of advisors expect retirement income planning will be a huge part of their business in the years ahead, more than half do not have specialized investment options readily available for clients seeking retirement planning advice.

Additionally, the Spectrem study found that advisors are rarely offering annuities as part of their retirement planning strategy, despite the product’s ability to help address issues today’s investors face: increased longevity, inflation and market and investment volatility. Mitch Politzer, senior vice president of Ameritas Advisor Services, attributes this "annuity aversion" to a number of misconceptions in the industry concerning withdrawal charges, expenses, licensing requirements and loss of investment control for investors and advisors alike.

"According to NAVA, more than 70 percent of annuities sold today have some form of a living benefit option, adding to the potential value of this retirement vehicle that wasn’t available in years past. The more recent availability of these types of benefits on no-load products, however, is not well known to the registered investment advisor. This is a significant change many still don’t realize," said Politzer. "This report has exposed advisors’ vulnerability in retirement planning strategy and product knowledge and further affirms that their level of preparedness is not equivalent to their clients’ needs, which is a critical gap."

Variable annuities are long-term investments designed to supplement income, especially during retirement. Ameritas No-Load Variable Annuity, one of the lowest cost variable annuities in the marketplace, combined with the new Guaranteed Lifetime Withdrawal Benefit rider, will enable fee-based and fee-only advisors to help their clients continue to build on their existing assets while providing a flexible, guaranteed* source of income during post-retirement years.

"Our hope is that this report will encourage advisors to assess their current retirement planning strategies so they can obtain the support needed to help investors stretch their income well into their post-retirement years," Politzer said. "Clients rely on their advisors for this type of knowledge, so it’s imperative advisors have a clear understanding of the products and opportunities that are now available."

Other key findings from the Spectrem Report include:

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About Ameritas Advisor Services
Ameritas Advisor Services is a division of Ameritas Life Insurance Corp., a UNIFI Company.