T. Rowe Price [profile] just launched a new online, interactive tool for investors. Today the Baltimore-based mutual fund firm unveiled Ready-2-Retire, which "produces a personal retirement profile" for investors, offering a plan, steps to prepare and more. LIMRA developed the tool and and licensed it to T. Rowe.

"Ready-2-Retire helps people jump-start their retirement planning in a straightforward, non-threatening way," stated Carol Waddell, head of product management and development for T. Rowe's retirement plan services division.

Though the tool works for all ages, it's geared towards "pre-retirees," those who are nearing retirement.

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Company Press Release

T. Rowe Price Adds to Suite of Retirement Planning Tools

Ready-2-RetireTM offers engaging way for investors to contemplate retirement decisions

BALTIMORE, Feb. 15, 2012 -- T. Rowe Price has expanded its suite of interactive planning tools with the launch of Ready-2-Retire (troweprice.com/ready2retire), a web-based tool that allows investors to envision how they might live in retirement.

Ready-2-Retire asks investors questions in a simple manner that helps them establish goals, set priorities, and understand risks. No personal financial account information is necessary to use the tool. When investors complete its questions, Ready-2-Retire produces a personal retirement profile summarizing their desired retirement lifestyle plan, their level of preparedness to minimize exposure to various risks they may face in retirement, and a list of next steps they may wish to take in the planning process.

"Ready-2-Retire helps people jump-start their retirement planning in a straightforward, non-threatening way," said Carol Waddell, head of product management and development in T. Rowe Price's Retirement Plan Services division. "The interactive, visual nature of the tool makes it easy to understand and use. The Summary Profile it presents also provides links to additional planning and educational resources."

Investors of any age can use Ready-2-Retire in their future planning, but the primary audience is likely to be those nearing retirement age, 80% of whom attempt to self-educate on the topic of retirement, according to LIMRA. With Ready-2-Retire, pre-retirees can think through the activities they want to participate in, their preferred living arrangements, and possible location changes, while also considering a variety of risks retirees may face - including longevity, inflation, investment, and health-care risks - and how they plan to address them.

"Ready-2-Retire gives investors an easy way to envision the kind of life they would like to lead in retirement and provides focus on potential risks that could stand in their way," said T. Rowe Price financial planner Judith Ward, CFP®. "It takes what for many people is an abstract concept - planning for retirement - and helps them visualize and prioritize what is most important to them. Ready-2-Retire is also effective at helping individuals and couples begin or continue a retirement planning dialogue, either with a financial advisor or each other."

Ready-2-Retire was developed by LIMRA and licensed to T. Rowe Price. Other T. Rowe Price retirement and financial planning tools include Retirement Income Estimator, Retirement Income Calculator, and Retirement Income Manager. Participants in certain corporate retirement plans administered by T. Rowe Price also have access to online financial advice tools from Morningstar and Financial Engines.

Founded in 1937, Baltimore-based T. Rowe Price is a global investment management organization with $489.5 billion in assets under management as of December 31, 2011. The organization provides a broad array of mutual funds, retirement plans, subadvisory services, and separate account management for individual and institutional investors and financial intermediaries - in addition to the services offered by Retirement Plan Services. The company also offers a variety of sophisticated investment planning and guidance tools. T. Rowe Price's disciplined, risk-aware investment approach focuses on diversification, style consistency, and fundamental research.

Founded in 1916, LIMRA is a worldwide research, consulting, and professional development organization that helps more than 850 insurance and financial services companies in 73 countries increase their marketing and distribution effectiveness. Visit LIMRA at www.limra.com. 

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