Desjardins Financial Security's Group Retirement Savings launches a two-day
seminar program, Destination Retirement

The program will help employees and employers prepare for the mass baby boomer exodus

TORONTO, March 3 /CNW Telbec/ - If you're like most pre-retirees, the financial side of retirement planning is stressing you out, especially if you feel you haven't saved enough. Desjardins Financial Security has created a solution called Destination Retirement, a two-day retirement planning workshop. The program is designed to help employees tackle the financial and psycho-social aspects of leaving the workforce.

The interactive workshop incorporates dynamic learning modules that help participants deal with the complicated issues and decisions required for a successful retirement. Each seminar is presented by a Desjardins education advisor who is specifically trained in retirement planning.

"This workshop helps make retirement a reality for employees," said Karrina Dusablon, director of Education Centre and Global Management at Desjardins. "We teach them what to expect in this next phase of their lives and to identify the questions to ask."

After the two days, participants will have the tools required to set their financial house in order and to handle the unique personal challenges associated with retirement. Participants learn how to design an action plan that suits their financial and lifestyle goals and the confidence to seek further professional advice if necessary.

"According to Statistics Canada, we will likely see a decline in people entering the workforce over the next decade," said Dusablon. "Our program also helps employers prepare for large workforce reductions. It gets them thinking about how a phased retirement could help them manage the challenges associated with skill transfers or shortages."

Another key benefit of the Destination Retirement program is its flexibility to meet the particular needs of employers. For example, the program can be presented on or off-site, on weekdays or weekends and can also include spouses if desired.

"We're very excited about this new venture because not only does it empower employees, it also demonstrates that employers care about their people," said Dusablon. "Retirement is the destination and DFS is providing employees the map to get there."

For more information about Destination Retirement, call 1-866-565-3145.

About Desjardins Financial Security

Desjardins Financial Security (DFS), a subsidiary of Desjardins Group, the largest cooperative financial group in Canada, specializes in providing life insurance, health insurance and retirement savings products to individuals and groups. Every day, over five million Canadians rely on Desjardins Financial Security to ensure their financial well-being. Desjardins Financial Security employs some 3,800 people and administers over $22.8 billion in assets from offices in several cities across the country, including Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, Montréal, Québec, Lévis, Halifax and St. John's. For more information about DFS and Desjardins Group, please visit www.desjardins.com.

For further information: (for journalists only): Sarah Twomey, Advisor, Media Relations, Desjardins Group, [phone], 1-877-906-5551, ext. 2015, [email protected]