The survey found that droves of boomers want the good life (not a big surprise when you consider that many of the trails this group has blazed before have been fueled by the same kind of optimism). Nearly half believe retirement is first and foremost about doing what they want to do, such as pursuing hobbies and luxuriating in their new found free time. As much as 11 percent of them want to travel and nearly 90 percent want affordable health care. About 70 percent want to maintain their current lifestyle, and over half want to be able to do some of the “extras.”

And they aren’t satisfied with just helping themselves. They want to help others as well, namely their children and grandchildren. About half want to be able to assist their family members should they need it, and 33 percent want to pay all their bills, enjoy a colorful second phase of life and then leave a nice chunk of change to their children.

Unfortunately, the grim reality shows that only about half of them will actually be prepared to maintain their standard of living (assuming they work until age 65), while nearly 90 percent of those surveyed feel fairly confident that they know what it will take to achieve this goal. Cleary, there is a disconnect between the retirement many envision and the retirement they are likely to have if they don’t prepare now financially and get additional advice from the experts.

So, all the aspiring “Suzy Ormans” out there should feel free to step up and seize an opportunity. As savvy as the baby boomer cohort is, many can clearly benefit from gaining some important, if not sobering insight, about what the true price tag is for a cushy retirement. Smart financial planners will recognize there exists “a wild west” in terms of retirement planning. There are golden opportunities to target this demographic now and provide them with sound financial advice in creative ways.

Amanda Sobanet