VUE

A s a professional Investment Advisor and Wealth Manager for a large Swiss Investment firm, my team and I provide financial planning and manage investment portfolios for successful families and larger institutions. In keeping with VUE Magazine's mission to provide its discriminating readership with access to interesting and pertinent information, I thought that for my column "VUE on Finance" that, rather than discuss economics, market analysis and strategies, I would focus on some "life" issues that affect us all at some point, as well as some generic principles and observations that I come across in my teams day-to-day practice. In previous issues I discussed evaluating performance and focusing on what's important, as well as preserving wealth and protecting your legacy. This issue I thought I would address a very common problem among married couples, financial communication. I hope you find it useful, next issue we may delve into the opposite problem – navigating your financial life through a divorce. Your financial life encompasses more than your assets. It includes your goals for the future and how you want to live right now. When it comes to retirement, the decisions you make today can have a huge impact on what retirement will be like. And, since retirement involves both you and your spouse or partner, it's important that both of you be involved in planning for it. PLANNING TOGETHER HAS PROVEN BENEFITS According to a UBS Investor Watch survey,* when both spouses are involved with key retirement decisions, they're happier and more optimistic about their future. But if you're like most couples, just one of you is making most of the decisions, and that often causes the less involved spouse to feel anxious about retirement. Putting in a little extra effort now can pay off for both of you. If you're not already planning for your retirement together, here are some tips to help you get started. SIX SUGGESTIONS TO HELP COUPLES PLAN FOR RETIREMENT 1. Decide what's important A good first step is to come to an agreement about your goals in retirement. Ask yourselves, what do you want your wealth to accomplish? What do you dream about doing one day? And, here's one question that YOU'RE IN THIS TOGETHER Investment and Retirement Planning For Couples | By Anthony Cristiano VUE ON FORTUNE V U E N J . C O M 126

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