The Health-Wealth Connection
Does the growing emphasis on lifestyle habits mean advisors should tell clients to watch what they eat and what Web sites they visit? Not exactly, says Antoniello. "I advise my clients to give me as much information as possible about their health, finances and lifestyle-but don't broadcast it online," she says. "I also do not think it's an advisor's job to tell clients to live healthier."
Others, though, don't feel it's out of line. "If I tell you there's a 25% to 50% difference in your insurance rate if you maintain a healthy weight-to-height ratio-or stop smoking for one year and you can save 30% on your premium-it makes good health and financial sense," says John Boyd Jr., a benefits specialist at the SIA Group, a full-service insurance agency in Jacksonville, N.C.