Boomers control more than $13 trillion in household assets

It is projected nearly one in six Americans will be 65 or older by the year 2020. The SEC has just released a report summarizing practices used by financial services firms and securities professionals in serving senior investors in the following areas:

• Getting started: how firms are thinking of ways to remodel their supervisory and compliance structures to meet the changing needs of senior investors;
• Communicating effectively with senior investors;
• Training and educating firm employees on senior-specific issues (such as how to identify signs of diminished capacity and elder abuse);
• Establishing an internal process for escalating issues and taking next steps;
• Encouraging investors of all ages to prepare for the future;
• Advertising and marketing to senior investors;
• Obtaining information at account opening;
• Ensuring the appropriateness of investments; and
• Conducting senior-focused supervision, surveillance and compliance reviews.

To download the full report, go to www.sec.gov.