Experts Available to Discuss Poll on President Bush's Social Security Plan.

ExpertSource:

TOPIC: An AP-Ipsos poll of 1,000 adults found six in 10 people do not approve of President Bush's proposed plan for Social Security, according to an article by The Associated Press. The proposed plan would call for middle- and higher-income retirees to receive less benefits than what is currently scheduled to keep Social Security solvent. The president says the existing program will still apply for workers aged 55 and older.

EXPERTS: ExpertSource can offer several highly qualified experts to comment on this story:

Michael Francis' perspective on the practical implications of private Social Security accounts draws from his expertise in the area of 401(k)s and qualified retirement plans. Francis is an attorney specializing in retirement law and an investment consultant who works solely with qualified retirement plans. His firm, Francis Investment Counsel LLC is a Registered Investment Advisor dedicated to providing independent investment consulting services to the qualified plan marketplace. The company delivers conflict-free investment advisory services to plan sponsors and also offers extensive education and individualized advice services to plan participants.

Bill Free, communications director for RBC Liberty Insurance has experts with the financial expertise and perspective to explain the implications of the proposed changes to Social Security, define what is meant by a personal retirement account, assess the impact on personal income from privatizing social security, identify the challenges in managing a personal retirement account, and why now is the time to deploy "plan B" financial tools to assure sufficient retirement income.

Joel M. Dickson is a principal of The Vanguard Group and member of the Portfolio Review Department, where he focuses on the evaluation of potential advisers for Vanguard's funds. Prior to joining Vanguard in 1996, Dickson worked as a staff economist at the Federal Reserve Board, where he was responsible for monitoring asset flows among private pension funds and mutual funds. Dickson has testified before Congress on Social Security reform and mutual fund disclosure issues.

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