Funding Our Future: A New Campaign for Improving Retirement Security

WASHINGTON, Feb. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) and personal finance expert Ric Edelman announced today the launch of a new initiative, "Funding Our Future: A Campaign for America's Retirement Security," to raise awareness and drive action around one of the biggest financial challenges of our time.

Millions of working Americans face the risk of outliving their savings, and a great many lack access to retirement savings plans at the workplace, all while the Social Security Trust Fund faces depletion by 2034. The Funding Our Future campaign will educate policymakers and the American public about these issues, explaining why immediate attention is essential.

The campaign's goals are to make saving easier for Americans of all ages, help retirees transform their nest eggs into a lifetime of income, and save America's Social Security system — not only for the millions of seniors relying on its benefits today, but also for future generations. Partners of the campaign will provide educational resources, informing the public about these key issues and why they should get involved.

"We need to take action to improve America's retirement security before it's too late," Ric Edelman, founder and executive chairman of Edelman Financial Services, said. "Through this campaign and partnership, we encourage all Americans to call on their representatives in Congress, to convince them to tackle the problems facing our country's retirement system so we can improve the well-being of millions of current and future retirees."

"All Americans — from millennials to baby boomers, those who live in cities and those who live in rural areas — deserve the opportunity and tools to pursue a secure retirement. As longevity increases, these challenges only grow more critical," Jason Grumet, BPC president, said. "We are creating this coalition to bring attention to an issue that affects the lives of all Americans and show that constructive policy solutions exist."

Joining BPC and Edelman in this campaign to inform the public and policymakers about retirement security and to make the issue a priority are:

• The Aspen Institute Financial Security Program
• BPC Action
• The Employee Benefit Research Institute
• Prosperity Now
• UnidosUS
• The Women's Institute For A Secure Retirement

Funding Our Future looks forward to adding new partners to this coalition in the coming months.

About Ric Edelman
For 30 years, Ric Edelman has worked to teach everyday people about personal finance. He's widely regarded as one of the nation's top financial advisors, having been ranked #11 on the 2017 list of the nation's Top Wealth Advisors by Forbes.¹ He was previously ranked the nation's #1 Independent Financial Advisor three times by Barron's.² Ric is the 2017 recipient of the IARFC's Loren Dunton Memorial Award³ for Lifetime Achievement for his "substantial contribution to the financial services profession and the financial interests of the public." He is an inductee of Research magazine's Financial Advisor Hall of Fame,⁴ and has been named among the "15 most transformative people in the industry" by InvestmentNews⁵ and one of the investment advisory field's "10 most influential figures" by RIABiz.⁶ Ric is also a #1 New York Times bestselling author who has written nine books on personal finance. His most recent, The Truth About Your Future, was published in March 2017. For more information about Ric Edelman, visit https://www.edelmanfinancial.com/about-us/about-ric.

About Edelman Financial Services
Founded by Ric and Jean Edelman in 1987, Edelman Financial Services is one of the nation's largest independent financial planning firms⁷ with 160 financial planners and 43 offices coast-to-coast, provides financial planning and investment management services to nearly 36,000 individuals and families, and manages more than $21 billion in assets.⁸ The firm also provides 401(k) plans and institutional investment management for businesses. Edelman Financial Services has won more than 100 financial, business, community and philanthropic awards,⁹ and offers an investment philosophy that puts clients first and delivers value through in-depth financial education, personalized financial plans and unfettered access to planners.¹⁰

About the Bipartisan Policy Center
The Bipartisan Policy Center is a non-profit organization that combines the best ideas from both parties to promote health, security, and opportunity for all Americans. BPC drives principled and politically viable policy solutions through the power of rigorous analysis, painstaking negotiation, and aggressive advocacy. As a Washington, D.C.-based think tank that actively promotes bipartisanship, BPC works to address the key challenges facing the nation. Its policy solutions are the product of informed deliberations by former elected and appointed officials, business and labor leaders, and academics and advocates who represent both ends of the political spectrum. Visit BPC online at www.bipartisanpolicy.org.

Ric Edelman is an Investment Advisor Representative who offers advisory services through Edelman Financial Services, LLC, a Registered Investment Advisor. He is also a Registered Representative and Registered Principal of, and offers securities through, EF Legacy Securities, LLC, an affiliated broker/dealer, member FINRA/SIPC.

EFS offers advisory services in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. As such, these services are strictly intended for individuals residing in the United States and Puerto Rico. No offers may be made to or accepted from any resident outside of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, or Puerto Rico.

¹ Forbes rankings are the opinion of SHOOK Research and are based on in-person and telephone due-diligence meetings and a ranking algorithm for advisors who have a minimum of seven years of experience, client retention, industry experience, compliance records and firm nominations, as well as quantitative criteria such as assets under management and revenue generated for the firm. Advisors are judged on individual contribution, but total team assets are shown; in some cases, significant, noncustodied assets are not included because of verification difficulties. Investment performance is not considered. Advisors do not pay to be in the ranking.
² According to Barron's, "The formula [used] to rank advisors has three major components: assets managed, revenue produced and quality of the advisor's practice. Investment returns are not a component of the rankings because an advisor's returns are dictated largely by each client's risk tolerance. The quality-of-practice component includes an evaluation of each advisor's regulatory record." The rankings are based on the universe of applications submitted to Barron's. The selection process begins with a nomination and application provided to Barron's. Principals of Edelman Financial Services, LLC, self-nominated the firm and submitted quantitative and qualitative information to Barron's as requested. Barron's reviewed and considered this information, which resulted in the rankings on Aug. 27, 2012/Aug. 28, 2010/Aug. 31, 2009.
³ Presented by the International Association of Registered Financial Consultants (IARFC). Candidates must hold a professional designation and must have disseminated their comments on financial topics by having them widely published in articles, journals, books, etc. They must have provided outstanding personal service or leadership in the financial services industry. Nominees must have participated in some aspect of financial education to the public or to other members of the profession. Investor experience/returns were not considered.
⁴ Research magazine cover story "Advisor Hall of Fame," December 2004 (based on serving a minimum of 15 years in the industry, having acquired substantial assets under management, demonstrating superior client service and having earned recognition from peers and the broader community for how they reflect on their profession). Investor experience/returns were not considered as part of this ranking.
⁵ InvestmentNews 15th Anniversary Issue. June 23, 2013.
⁶ The RIABiz listing of the 10 most influential figures in the Registered Investment Advisor industry is in recognition of notable, driven and influential executives who are advancing their firms and are considered to be influential in the RIA business. Investor experience/returns were not considered as part of this ranking.
⁷ WealthManagement.com's "Top 100 RIAs of 2015" ranking was assembled using data from Meridian-IQ. Advisory firms are ranked by total assets under management. To land on the list, firms had to have a focus on financial and retirement planning for individual and high-net-worth clients. And institutional clients do not make up a substantial portion of their businesses. Finally, none of these firms are owned by a bank, broker/dealer or investment company. Investor experience/returns were not considered as part of this ranking. Edelman Financial Services ranked 3rd.
⁸ As of Dec. 31, 2017.
⁹ Throughout the firm's 30-year history, EFS and Ric Edelman have been presented with numerous business, advisory, communication and community service awards. More information on these awards can be found at EdelmanFinancial.com/awards.
¹⁰ Investing strategies, such as asset allocation, diversification, or rebalancing do not assure or guarantee better performance and cannot eliminate the risk of investment losses. There are no guarantees that a portfolio employing these or any other strategy will outperform a portfolio that does not engage in such strategies. Funds and ETFs are subject to risk, including loss of principal. All investments have inherent risks. There can be no assurance that the investment strategy proposed will obtain its goal. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

SOURCE Edelman Financial Services