RETIREMENTand

The State Of

Our Survey of Small Business Owners (SBOs) shows growth in revenues, hiring, and invest-able assets relative to 2011.

it hard to com-pletely retire

believe they never plan on retiring

plan to go back and forth between work and leisure*

plan to start a new business in

retirement**

feel they don’t really want to

retire

SBOs today are optimistic about their retirement prospects.

THE NUMBERS ARE STRONG AND IMPROVING:

A ND RECEPTIVE TO PROFESSIONAL ADVICE:

THEY ARE APPRECIATIVE OF SOFT SKILLS:

58% 38% 37% 24% 4%

MY FELLOW AMERICANS, THE STATE OF THE SMALL BUSINESS OWNER WITH RESPECT TO RETIREMENT IS...

Small business owners who are more successful

The most sought-after traitsin a potential financial advisor

Some of the least-important perceived traits Risk Taking Assertiveness Charisma

Trustworthiness Knowledge Integrity Experience

THEY ARE TENACIOUS AND HARD-WORKING:

plan to keep their advisor when they retire.

of SBOs are very satisfied or satisfiedwith their financial advisor, and...

2011 2014

ARE DIVIDED IN LEVELS OF PREPARATION:

ADDITIONAL GENDER DIFFERENCES TO CONSIDER

AND SOME OPT TO GO IT ALONE:

45%WOMEN

56%MEN

Source: The 2014 Guardian Small Business Owners Retirement Readiness Study*38% of men vs. 37% of women ** 4% of men vs. 3% of womenThis material is intended to potentially assist you in planning for your future. This material is not intended to provide legal, tax, or investment advice. Please note that individual situations can vary, and you should consult your tax, investment or legal advisor for guidance and information specific to your situation. The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America (Guardian), 7 Hanover Square, New York, NY 10004-4025, is not responsible for the conse-quences of any decisions or actions taken in reliance upon or as result of the information provided by this material. EB017179 2014-13224 Exp. 10/16

Around half of SBOs say they are very well or fairly well prepared for retirement.

While 62%

35% of SBOs are still going it alone.

Risk Taking Assertiveness Charisma

While most metrics of small business performance and retirement readinesshave improved since 2011, there is still considerable room for improvement.

Take the time now to envision your retirement lifestyle and answer questions like “What will my retirement be like?” and “What’s most important

to me when I retire?”

your best ally when it comes to retirement planning and

helping you develop a comprehensiveplan that addresses your goals

and needs.

As life evolves, continueto evaluate and modify your

business succession plan.

TIPS FOR CONSIDERATION TO FURTHER IMPROVE YOUR RETIREMENT PREPARATION...

Women are nearly twice as likely to become an unexpected business owner.Female SBOs feel more pressed for time.

Women are less risk tolerant than men (57% women vs. 70% men).