Fred Bertoldo
Regional president
Wells Fargo & Co.
Milwaukee
Industry: Financial services
Employees: 3,300 in Wisconsin
www.wellsfargo.com
Fred Bertoldo is the regional president for Wells Fargo in Wisconsin, Michigan and Chicago, based in Milwaukee. Statistics show a portion of the workforce plans to work until they die. With the right plan in place, that need not be the case, he says.
“The sad fact is many middle-class Americans don’t expect to ever retire. They expect to work for the rest of their lives. It’s up to us as individuals to change the plan for our golden years. It’s up to us to have a plan.
“In the recently released Wells Fargo Middle Class Retirement Study, we learned that the ’30-somethings’ get it. More of them have a plan than any other age group, and they also have a more realistic estimate of what they will need to save for retirement, and are more confident in the stock market as a place to invest for retirement.
“People with a plan have saved three times more than those without a plan, and 70 percent are confident they will have enough to retire vs. 44 percent who do not have a plan. In addition, 91 percent of the middle class who have a plan for their finances in retirement say that they have ‘the willpower’ to save for retirement vs. 75 percent of those who do not have a plan.
“We understand those conversations can be difficult, but they are vital to retirement health if people are to succeed financially. We put batteries in the smoke detectors in case of fire. We keep a blanket in the car in case we’re stranded. We already take daily actions to be prepared and to have peace of mind. In the upcoming holiday season when family is gathered in thanks and celebration, a plan for the future is the ideal gift.”
