Women often find themselves alone in old age, whether due to widowhood, divorce or never having married. As women control an increasing share of financial assets and real estate, it is crucial that they pay attention to how those assets are titled to ensure continued control in the event of divorce or remarriage. Splitting retirement assets can be very complicated. With Mary Beth to discuss how women can “cover their assets” is Pui Kalyanamitra, regional vice president at Transamerica.

Women represent the next wave of growth in U.S. wealth management. By 2030, American women are expected to control $30 trillion in financial assets. As they earn more, inherit money from their parents and spouses, receive divorce settlements and pursue other investments, they will need to tailor their financial strategies. Ryan Bertrand, VP and Managing Director, Advanced Markets for Transamerica, joins Mary Beth to discuss how the financial services industry can adapt and better serve female investors.

The average retirement in the U.S. has tripled since 1935, from 7 years to around 22 years. Retirees have ample time and opportunity to launch a new chapter of their life, but extra care must be taken to plan their finances. Maddy Dychtwald, co-founder of AgeWave, joins Mary Beth on this episode to discuss what Maddy calls the Longevity Bonus.

People are finding it more and more difficult to plan for retirement. They face issues such as their ability to save while working, converting those savings into income, and how to properly plan for all the other elements, such as Social Security and taxes. Wade Pfau, a professor of retirement income in the new Ph.D. program for Financial and Retirement Planning at the American College of Financial Planning, joins the podcast to discuss these issues and more.

With all the noise out there about the "the end is near for Social Security!" many investors are worried about their future retirement benefits, and some are even taking benefits early. In this episode, Joe Elsasser, founder of Covisum, discusses Social Security solvency, possible reform, taxes and benefit strategies with Mary Beth.

When it comes to retirement planning, one of the biggest concerns of retirees and one of the biggest challenges for financial advisers is budgeting for health care expenses. How do you plan for and pay for the unknown? While many retirees worry that a potential long-term care event could devastate their retirement savings, the bigger threat may be the annual costs and ever-increasing expenses of Medicare. Peter Stahl, president and founder of Bedrock Business Results, joins Mary Beth to discuss.

The last decade of low interest rates has led investors down potentially risky paths in the search for coveted retirement income. Annuities, which historically entailed high commissions and were looked down upon by fee-only advisers, have seen a resurgence in recent years as they have removed fees and possibly provide that oft-searched for retirement income. Leslie Lipscomb, senior vice president at Financial Independence Group, joins Mary Beth to discuss this new age of annuities.

Dr. Chris Heye, founder of Whealthcare Solutions, has a frank conversation with host Mary Beth about the issues arising from older age and how that affects an individual's retirement. They go through data on aging and the story of Whealthcare, and explore diminished mental capacity in detail. Advisers will learn how and why to look out for clients who may be suffering from cognitive decline or even Alzheimers disease, and what they can do about it.

Suzanne Norman of the Alliance for Lifetime Income joins Mary Beth to discuss women's financial wellness. Nearly half of American millionaires are women, and more and more women are controlling the assets of their former spouses. Yet there's a gap between women's assets and women's financial wellness. Mary Beth and Suzanne discuss specific areas of finance, such as the distribution of saved assets, money as a means to support life goals, the challenge of language and the role of advisers.

Women who are recently divorced or widowed often need specialized financial advice and an empathetic adviser to guide them through a turbulent period in their lives. Mary Beth Franklin talks with Stacy Francis, president of the boutique wealth management firm Francis Financial, about how advisers can work with women in transition to set them up for a successful future.