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ING Direct is rolling out a new advertising campaign and Web site focused on determining how much money you need to retire.
ING Your Number (http://www.ingyournumber.com) is a financial calculator for figuring out "your number" — meaning, the amount of money you need to live at a level you'd like in retirement.
On the Web site, you're given a Flash presentation where you insert six fundamentals for determining your number:
- Current Age
- Marriage Status
- Household Income
- Expected Retirement Age
- Desired Income at Retirement
- Age until you'll need the income
After your number is determined, ING points you to financial professionals whether you have one or you don't.
At first use, it seems helpful — you've got to know where you're going before you can get there. But at the same time, how are you supposed to know how much you'll need to live on in retirement? (It may not be the 80% often quoted.)
And, more importantly, how can I figure out when I'm going to die? (Death clocks not withstanding)
Now that ING owns ShareBuilder, it makes sense for them to be making a bigger deal out of investing for the future. We'll see how long the "your number" campaign plays out.
