Thompson, J. H., Sharpe, D. L. & Hamilton,
J. A. (1998). Retirement programs: Reaching midlife professional
women Financial Counseling and Planning, 9(2), 25-36.
Retirement Programs: Reaching Midlife Professional
Women
Jamie Huyer Thompson,(1)Deanna
L. Sharpe(2)
and
Jean A. Hamilton(3)
Qualitative interviews
were conducted with nine single, midlife, professional women to assess
the factors that encouraged or inhibited acquisition of retirement planning
information. Participants preferred using several ways to acquire information,
including seminars, professional guidance, and self-study. The “human connection”
to planning information was vital. Participants would not be likely to
work with a financial professional or program facilitator who was not warm,
caring, understanding, and approachable, regardless of how knowledgeable
they were. Retirement programs that communicated basic information, utilized
various learning styles, helped participants begin planning, and appealed
to both logic and emotions were more likely to actively engage participants.
Key Words: Midlife women,
Retirement planning, Retirement programs, Single women
1. Jamie Huyer Thompson, Consumer and Family Economic
Specialist, University of Missouri Outreach and Extension Service, 119
West Main, PO Box 637, Warsaw, MO 65355. Phone 660-438-5012, E-mail: ThompsoJ@ext.missouri.edu
2. Deanna L. Sharpe, Ph.D., CFP, Assistant Professor,
Consumer and Family Economics Department, 239 Stanley Hall, University
of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211. Phone 573-882-9652, E-mail: SharpeD@missouri.edu
3. Jean A. Hamilton,
Ph.D., Associate Professor, Textile and Apparel Management Department,
127 Stanley Hall, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211. Phone 573-882-6316,
E-mail: HamiltonJ@missouri.edu
Funding support for this research from
the College of Human Environmental Sciences, University of Missouri-Columbia
is gratefully acknowledged.