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PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
At The Roundtable: Elise Brooks, (202) 589-2427
At WISER: Lara Hinz, 202-393-5452

WISER and the Roundtable Encourage Women to Prepare for Retirement

Washington, D.C.—May 7, 2010—In celebration of Mothers Day The Women's Institute for a Secure Retirement (WISER) and The Financial Services Roundtable partner to raise awareness of personal retirement security for women. A McKinsey & Company study shows Americans, especially women, are woefully unprepared for retirement—relying solely on personal savings. The McKinsey Retirement Consumer Survey found that nearly a third (32%) of women do not feel prepared for retirement, and they are becoming more anxious about their personal situation.

“Today’s an important day for all women (mothers, godmothers, grandmothers and aunts) to think about themselves and resolve to start preparing for retirement,” said, Cindy Hounsell, President of WISER.

“It’s crucial to empower all Americans, but especially women, with the tools to retire comfortably,” said Steve Bartlett, President and CEO for the Roundtable. “Retirement planning is a personal responsibility, but one that can be smartly accomplished with WISER’s free resources and taking steps to plan today.”

5 Steps women can take to prepare for the future:

Figure out how much you will need–take the first step by using the retirement calculator at www.wiserwomen.org.
Women live longer so account for inflation when determining how much you have and how much you will need.
Keep it! Save your retirement money for the future – women are more likely than men to spend 401(k) funds before they retire.
Know what benefits you have at work – a typical benefits package is worth a lot --sometimes as much as 25% of your income.
Take into consideration that your desired retirement age may be overly optimistic (either too early or too late).

To learn more, please visit: www.wiserwomen.org

About the Women’s Institute for a Secure Retirement
WISER is a nonprofit organization that helps women, educators and policymakers understand the important issues surrounding women’s retirement income. WISER works to provide low- and moderate-income women with basic financial information aimed at helping them take financial control over their lives and to increase awareness of the structural barriers that prevent women’s adequate participation in the nation’s retirement systems. Learn more at www.wiserwomen.org.

The Financial Services Roundtable represents 100 of the largest integrated financial services companies providing banking, insurance, and investment products and services to the American consumer. Member companies participate through the Chief Executive Officer and other senior executives nominated by the CEO.

Roundtable member companies provide fuel for America's economic engine, accounting directly for $74.7 trillion in managed assets, $1.1 trillion in revenue, and 2.3 million jobs.

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