Planning & guidance

The uncertain future of Social Security can cause stress for clients. Annuities and in-plan guarantees could serve as invaluable backup plans.

This guide explores strategies for securing long-term care for children with special needs through special needs trusts, ABLE accounts, and government benefits.

Making a large financial gift can cause tax issues for clients. Using a SBLOC rather than liquidating assets may be a better option.

Unretirement is a growing trend that could affect your clients. Here’s what you need to be aware of when advising retirees who plan to go back to work.

Long-Term Care insurance (LTCi) planning can be a lot like buying a car; there are many factors for your clients to consider regarding price, value and options.

Help ensure your clients are prepared for the expected 2025 Medicare changes.

When a client faces a large expense there are several funding options that they’re likely to consider. They might not be aware, however, of securities-backed lending (SBL).

Learn how living trusts and SBLOCs can benefit estate planning by offering control, probate avoidance, restrictions, and financial flexibility for clients.

Explore how you can leverage life insurance to enhance diversity in client portfolios, helping to facilitate stability, growth, and comprehensive wealth planning solutions.

October is National Retirement Security Month—a time to focus on the steps retirement savers and plan participants can take to help secure their financial future.

Find out what upcoming regulatory changes may impact the COLI and BOLI industry and how they could affect your business-owner clients.

Discover how SBLOC can be used as a wealth management solution and address future cash needs.

In-plan lifetime income solutions can help build confidence by making it simpler to convert retirement savings to retirement income.

Learn how to help clients maximize retirement savings using Net Unrealized Appreciation (NUA) strategies to reduce their tax burden and unlock employer stock value.

Discover how securities-backed lending can enhance wealth management by providing a proactive credit line for client portfolios, ensuring cash availability and improving debt management

Get professional insights and practical steps to guide your farmer clients through succession planning without heirs.

Our recent annuities survey uncovered insights to help your client retirement planning conversations. Learn more here.

The WA Cares Fund and its short lived opt-out opportunity affected the ability to get LTC business issued in a timely fashion all around the country. One of the biggest lessons all states learned from WA is how many people are willing to buy LTC insurance if it will get them exempted from a tax! WA expected about 100,000 people to opt out of the WA Cares Fund—but in the end it was nearly 500,000 people.

Debunk common myths about Social Security to empower clients with accurate information for better retirement planning and financial decisions.

Many Americans are worried about Social Security's future. Help your clients understand their Social Security options and learn insights from our recent survey.

Considerations for financial professionals on supporting retirees through economic uncertainty.

The dual income, no kids (DINK) lifestyle is becoming more common. Here’s what you can expect from this kind of client.

Recovering addicts may face a unique set of challenges with finances. Here are tips to help your clients in recovery rebuild their financial stability.

Discover how financial professionals can guide business owners through retirement planning, succession planning, and managing economic challenges with Nationwide's solutions.

Help get clients over common hurdles towards a long-term care plan that’s right for them.

Our recent survey shows investors' pessimism that isn't necessarily supported by current economic data. Learn more insights from our survey that will help your client conversations.

Your clients could still be in the dark about how securities-backed lending works. These top 5 myths can help you address common misconceptions.

Learn how variable annuities with income protections could better serve your clients for retirement than an investments-only approach without protections.

The results from our latest LTC survey show clients are looking to financial professionals to start an LTC planning conversation.

At the beginning of 2026, a valuable tax exemption is slated to go away— now is the time to help your clients prepare.

As investors confront economic challenges, help them focus on their long-term goals and continue to save for the future.

Robust client communication skills can set you apart from your counterparts, leading to improved client satisfaction, retention, and referrals for your practice.

Explore essential financial planning tips for helping clients merge finances in marriage.

Help your clients manage finances with irregular income as a freelancer. Discover essential money management tips for your clients' stability in the freelance world.

Explore the complexities of the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) to better guide clients through retirement planning.

Help your widowed clients financially navigate the loss of their spouse.

Understanding reinsurance and its potential impact on your client's investments can be beneficial.

Historically sidelined in financial narratives, women are now at the forefront of economic change, fostering new trends, and reshaping the financial landscape.

Today’s financial professionals can consider offering a securities-backed line of credit to help clients who need fast access to cash.

As a financial professional, you help your clients plan for long-term care (LTC). Before customizing a care plan, it helps to understand how LTC benefits can be paid.

Talking to clients about what happens to their assets after they die may be a difficult conversation, but you can help make them feel more comfortable.

An early start to saving can make a big difference in an investor’s long-term financial success.

In the coming years, an extraordinary amount of wealth will transfer from Baby Boomers to their beneficiaries. According to a recent report, adults born before 1960 will pass over $84 trillion dollars to their heirs by 2045.

As a financial professional, your mission transcends helping clients build wealth. It also includes safeguarding their hard-earned assets from potential risks, like the cost of long-term care.

When it comes to blended families, financial planning can become a lot more complex. Although the US Census data doesn’t track stepfamilies specifically, it’s estimated that around 40% of families in the United States would be considered blended. A blended family is one with a couple and children from their current and previous relationships. With the potential for multiple sets of children, ex-spouses, and different levels of financial resources, there's a lot to consider.

Going through a divorce later in life can have a significant impact on your client’s finances as they navigate the division of assets, alimony, and retirement planning. In addition to the financial considerations of gray divorce, the emotional implications can be profound and far-reaching.

Charitable contributions are donations made to qualified tax-exempt organizations, such as charities and non-profit entities. These contributions can take the form of cash, assets, or property and can offer significant financial advantages for your clients.

What does financial security mean to you? For some, it means having a robust retirement portfolio. For others, it means finding a high paying job or simply building an emergency fund. As a financial professional, you’re uniquely positioned to bring structure to your client’s financial life by helping them set goals and develop plans for retirement; you’re setting them up for financial security—whatever that means to them.

As a financial professional, one of the most important things you can do for your clients is to help them manage their debt. According to New York Fed's quarterly Household Debt and Credit Survey (HHDC), the total consumer debt reached $16.5 trillion in the second quarter of 2022, which is significantly higher than the second quarter of 2019 at $13.86 trillion. Debt can feel like an overwhelming obstacle for many people, and it can feel difficult to manage alone. By taking a holistic approach to financial planning, you can help your clients manage their debt effectively and work toward building financial security.

As the cost of college continues to rise, your clients might be faced with the sometimes-daunting challenge of saving for their children's future education expenses. One popular option for college savings is a 529 plan, a tax-advantaged investment account designed specifically for education savings and can be used for qualified education expenses.

Saving money for travel—just like saving for other big events—requires discipline and planning, especially if your clients are interested in finding cost-saving deals. By setting goals, creating a budget, tracking expenses, and automating savings, your clients will be well on their way to making their dream trip a reality. Additionally, travel can be tailored to their level of financial comfort based on their chosen lodging, transportation, and activities. Sharing these tips with clients can be a great way to discuss travel, and how it fits in to their overall financial plan.

In the past, some annuity providers locked in products and beneficiaries upon purchase, making them less attractive for some clients. But now annuity solutions can much more client-friendly. Some annuities offer free withdrawal provisions or access to account values without penalties due to life events. Knowing this, it might be a good time to talk about the benefits of annuities with your clients.

Merging two individuals' incomes, assets, and liabilities into one shared financial picture through marriage can be both exciting and overwhelming, which is why having a solid financial plan in place is crucial. From careful financial planning before the big day to maximizing tax and other benefits, we’ll explore how marriage can impact your clients' financial futures.

When tensions rise globally, headlines and volatility usually dictate market sentiment, but long-term fundamentals drive performance.

Businesses struggling to attract or retain executive talent may want to extend employee benefits. Corporate-owned life insurance offers benefits to both the employee and the business.

For your clients who are self-employed, they may enjoy perks like being their own boss, having greater work flexibility, or owning something that they can pass on to their kids or grandkids. But self-employed clients may also miss out on the standard benefits afforded by a typical 9-5 like a 401k with employer match or health insurance—and it can be difficult to advise them on how to save for retirement.

While members of Congress have been proposing some form of flat tax for over 20 years, the Fair Tax Act was introduced again early in 2023.

Understanding unique challenges LGBTQ+ individuals face will help you be better prepared to help them achieve a more stable financial future.

Together, Medicare and Social Security will have a lasting impact on retirees’ financial well-being—and there are instances where these programs intersect. As a financial professional, you can help clients navigate these intersections so they can get the greatest benefits for the lowest overall cost.

Annuities are designed to help you grow your retirement income and protect you from outliving it. In return for your investment with an insurance company, you receive income in the form of regular payments through annuitization or a guaranteed lifetime income benefit that is available for an additional cost. There are many reasons why your client may want to purchase an annuity—and there are various kinds with unique benefits and drawbacks.

It’s no secret that many Americans are struggling with student loan debt. And while many assume it’s only younger people who are concerned, older generations are also feeling burdened with the resumption of payments. A new survey by the Nationwide Retirement Institute® finds that even seasoned employees are experiencing significant financial pressures due to the resumption of student loan payments that resumed on October 1st.

As a financial professional, you can help your clients process their anxiety about finances with these tips from the American Psychiatric Association.

Social selling is a great way for financial professionals to gain new clients, reach sales goals, and build relationships with existing clients online.

The rising cost of healthcare plays a pivotal role in retirement planning—now more than ever. For example, from July 2021 to July 2022 alone, prices for more than 1,200 prescription drugs increased an average of 31.6%. That is significantly higher than the 8.5% inflation rate during the same time period.