Financial planning can have a positive effect on familial relationships for Americans who have limits on how much financial assistance they can offer to family members, a new study says.

The cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) will increase 3.6% for Social Security beneficiaries in 2012, affecting more than 60 million consumers, although an insurance trade group says most will not see the full COLA.

Half of middle-market baby boomers say they lack the confidence to manage their investing, and fewer than 50% have contacted a financial services professional for help, according to a new survey from the Insured Retirement Institute.

The majority of middle-income baby boomers worry most about health care expenses, inflation and outliving their money, with women worrying more than men, according to a new report.

Insurers’ ability to capitalize on the growth potential of retirement income products will be controlled by their success at managing the risks associated with the products, according to a new study.

The life settlement industry is positioned for “one of its strongest years in recent memory,” according to a financing company chief executive.

Nearly half of people between the ages of 45 and 65 say they don’t feel confident in their retirement planning, and they appear to be counting on a wide range of income sources to fill the anticipated gap.

An executive at an Orlando, Fla.-based life settlement company, which says it has established relationships with three new funding sources, suggests the life settlement industry is “recovering.”

While corporate pension funds “bit the bullet” on funding their pension plan obligations, public plans and unions could be in jeopardy of “going broke.”

At least one long-term care insurance executive said that despite recent concerns about the product, the industry is thriving.