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couples often forget to consider: What's happening now that can impact your financial future? For example, are you helping support adult children or your parents? You can think through these important questions together and create a plan to pursue your goals once both of you agree on them. 2. Find a risk tolerance you both can embrace According to Investor Watch,* women are often more conservative than men when it comes to investing. Work together to find a comfortable balance between your spouse's risk tolerance level and your own. Couples report that this is the most satisfying approach when it comes to planning for retirement. 3. Don't forget long-term care planning Life expectancy continues to grow, and many of us are spending more years in retirement. This makes issues like healthcare and eldercare more important than ever. Start having conversations now about developing a long-term care plan for both of you. For example, do you envision staying in your home as long as you can? How heavily will you rely on family to provide your care? How do you intend to fund future health and long-term care costs? 4. Coordinate your strategy for Social Security Even if you're not counting on Social Security as a major source of income in retirement, it's important to know that couples have various options to consider. Making informed decisions before you start taking Social Security can lead to significantly higher benefits over the course of your retirement. Discuss the best option to maximize your Social Security benefits with a financial advisor. 5. Keep both of you in the know It isn't always easy for both of you to be involved in every financial decision, especially when it comes to managing your accounts. But, it's good for both of you to know the following: • Your net worth • Your assets, liabilities, insurance, property and financial accounts • Where each of these is held • How to access your money once you retire 6. Get involved and stay involved Being mutually involved is the most important step couples can take to keep from feeling stressed about retirement. Make it a point to review investment statements together. Check in with each other to see of its time to adjust your strategy, and make sure you are both involved in conversations with your financial advisor, as well as your lawyers and accountants. You should talk on a regular basis to make sure you have the information you need, your goals are aligned and you're pulling in the same direction. My team and I have a very holistic, plan-oriented approach to portfolio management and as a result we are very engaged in our clients' lives. Many of these relationships have become multi- generational. Another very important benefit of couples being involved as a team in their investment plan is the ability to function financially should tragedy strike. An involved spouse or partner should be able to adjust and complete the plan and make necessary course corrections with their advisors based on their new reality in the event of the loss of a spouse or partner. There will be emotional turmoil, but it should not be compounded by financial confusion. What about retirement? Can I afford to stay in the house? Will I need to return to work? What about the children, education, tax implications etc.? Sadly, all too often, in the past, I've had to counsel surviving spouses who had no idea as to the whereabouts of assets, documents, investment strategies employed, and even who their other advisors were. As a result of my experiences, I've made it a point to include spouses and partners in all performance reviews and strategic financial planning discussions. Authored by UBS Financial Services Inc., provided courtesy of Anthony Cristiano, First Vice President and Financial Advisor. "UBS Financial Services, Inc. and its affiliates do not provide legal or tax advice. Clients should consult with their legal and tax advisors regarding their personal circumstances. As a firm providing wealth management services to clients, we offer both investment advisory and brokerage services. These services are separate and distinct, differ in material ways and are governed by different laws and separate contracts. For more information on distinctions between our brokerage and investment advisory services, please speak with your Financial Advisor or visit our website at ubs.com/ workingwithus. ©UBS 2015. The key symbol and UBS are among the registered and unregistered trademarks of UBS. All rights reserved. UBS Financial Services, Inc. is a subsidiary of UBS AG. Member FINRA. Member SIPC" Anthony Cristiano heads the Cristiano Group, a wealth management team at UBS Financial Services in NYC. He is a First Vice President and Portfolio Manager. In addition to his practice advising affluent families and executives, Mr. Cristiano is also a Senior Retirement Plan Consultant at UBS, providing guidance to Corporate Retirement Plans. The primary focus of the Cristiano Group is to provide objective, comprehensive wealth advice to their clients. In conjunction with his firms' world class resources, his team provides a holistic approach to wealth management, one that is inextricably linked to the unique needs, goals and values of each client. www.ubs.com/teamthecristianogroup VUE ON FORTUNE V U E N J . C O M 127

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