175 episodes

Ever wondered about the future of Social Security? Need help creating a plan for Long-Term Care? What happens if you retire during a Recession?

Retiring in today’s world can be complex and complicated. Each week, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Loren Merkle and co-host Molly Nelson will tackle trending financial topics and apply them to your retirement. You’ll takeaway the important, need-to-know information about preparing for retirement and what happens after you get there. Retiring Today will give you actionable tips that you can use to reach your retirement goals.

Retiring Today Merkle Retirement Planning

    • Business
    • 3.7 • 17 Ratings

Ever wondered about the future of Social Security? Need help creating a plan for Long-Term Care? What happens if you retire during a Recession?

Retiring in today’s world can be complex and complicated. Each week, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Loren Merkle and co-host Molly Nelson will tackle trending financial topics and apply them to your retirement. You’ll takeaway the important, need-to-know information about preparing for retirement and what happens after you get there. Retiring Today will give you actionable tips that you can use to reach your retirement goals.

    167 Recap: Take Control of Your Future: Getting Started with Your Legacy Plan

    167 Recap: Take Control of Your Future: Getting Started with Your Legacy Plan

    Learn more about building a legacy plan and take the first step of your retirement journey by booking a Retire Ready Call today: https://bit.ly/4a6ffiZ

    What are you putting off - a dentist appointment, mending a relationship, thinking about what happens to your assets when you're gone? You are not alone. In this episode recap, Host Molly Nelson highlights the importance of a building a legacy plan and some heartbreaking stories of what can happen without a legacy plan. These stories may motivate you to take the first step to securing what happens to your retirement savings when you are gone.



    Molly Nelson, Host of Retiring Today

    https://merkleretirementplanning.com/staff-members/molly-nelson/



    Chapters

    00:00 Don't Put Off Building Your Legacy Plan

    01:30 What Is a Legacy Plan?

    01:34 How to Retire Early and Avoid a 401(k) Penalty

    02:02 Creating a Written Legacy Plan



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    This video does not constitute an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation of any security or any other product or service by Merkle Retirement Planning LLC, Elite Retirement Planning LLC, MRP Insurance LLC, or any other third party regardless of whether such security, product or service is referenced in this episode. Furthermore, nothing in this episode is intended to provide tax, legal, or investment advice and nothing in this episode should be construed as a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any investment or security or to engage in any investment strategy or transaction. Merkle Retirement Planning, LLC does not represent that the securities, products, or services discussed in this episode are suitable for any particular investor. You are solely responsible for determining whether any investment, investment strategy, security or related transaction is appropriate for you based on your personal investment objectives, financial circumstances and risk tolerance. You should consult your business advisor, attorney, or tax and accounting advisor regarding your specific business, legal or tax situation.

    • 2 min
    167. Getting Started with Legacy Planning

    167. Getting Started with Legacy Planning

    Learn more about how you can prepare for retirement by downloading the complimentary Retire Your Way Toolkit - https://bit.ly/3VbxA9D

    Register for our next Journey to Retirement Online Workshop to learn more about building your income plan and a comprehensive retirement plan. - https://bit.ly/49NrPn2



    In this episode of Retiring Today we discuss important mindset shifts when it comes to legacy planning. You will learn about the legacy planning process and whether a will or a trust is best for your situation. Loren even reviews 3 often overlooked legacy planning documents that can help you optimize your legacy plan.



    Loren Merkle, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, RETIREMENT INCOME CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL FIDUCIARY® https://merkleretirementplanning.com/staff-members/loren-merkle/

    Molly Nelson, Host of Retiring Today https://merkleretirementplanning.com/staff-members/molly-nelson/



    Chapter

    00:00 What is a Legacy Plan?

    02:48 Legacy Planning Isn't Just for the Ultra Wealthy

    04:08 A Will Does Not Take Care of Everything

    04:50 The Government's Legacy Plan

    5:50 The Differences Between a Will and a Trust

    11:10 What is an Estate?

    12:10 Plan Now for Your Loved Ones

    15:15 Three Often Overlooked Legacy Planning Documents

    21:20 Get Organized for Your Loved Ones

    22:21 Update Your Beneficiaries



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    This video does not constitute an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation of any security or any other product or service by Merkle Retirement Planning LLC, Elite Retirement Planning LLC, MRP Insurance LLC, or any other third party regardless of whether such security, product or service is referenced in this episode. Furthermore, nothing in this episode is intended to provide tax, legal, or investment advice and nothing in this episode should be construed as a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any investment or security or to engage in any investment strategy or transaction. Merkle Retirement Planning, LLC does not represent that the securities, products, or services discussed in this episode are suitable for any particular investor. You are solely responsible for determining whether any investment, investment strategy, security or related transaction is appropriate for you based on your personal investment objectives, financial circumstances and risk tolerance. You should consult your business advisor, attorney, or tax and accounting advisor regarding your specific business, legal or tax situation.

    • 28 min
    166 Recap: The 59 1/2 Decision - 401k vs. IRA?

    166 Recap: The 59 1/2 Decision - 401k vs. IRA?

    Start preparing for your retirement by downloading the complimentary Retire Your Way Toolkit - https://merkleretirementplanning.com/toolkit/



    At age 59 1/2, many people have an important retirement to make: leave your money in a 401(k) or roll it into an IRA. In this recap video, Retirement Planner Loren Merkle talks about the advantages of leaving your money in your 401(k), including when it could save you money, at what age you can avoid early withdrawal penalties, and a little-known 401(k) rule that kicks in at age 55. But that's just half the story. You also need to know the advantages of rolling your money to an IRA. Retirement Planners Loren Merkle and Chawn Honkomp dicuss that during the full episode of "Isn't My 401(k) a Retirement Plan?"



    Loren Merkle, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, RETIREMENT INCOME CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL FIDUCIARY®

    https://merkleretirementplanning.com/staff-members/loren-merkle/



    Chapters

    00:00 The 59 1/2 Decision

    00:34 Reasons to keep your money in your 401(k)

    01:34 How to Retire Early and Avoid a 401(k) Penalty

    02:58 Building a Customized Retirement Plan

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    This video does not constitute an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation of any security or any other product or service by Merkle Retirement Planning LLC, Elite Retirement Planning LLC, MRP Insurance LLC, or any other third party regardless of whether such security, product or service is referenced in this episode. Furthermore, nothing in this episode is intended to provide tax, legal, or investment advice and nothing in this episode should be construed as a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any investment or security or to engage in any investment strategy or transaction. Merkle Retirement Planning, LLC does not represent that the securities, products, or services discussed in this episode are suitable for any particular investor. You are solely responsible for determining whether any investment, investment strategy, security or related transaction is appropriate for you based on your personal investment objectives, financial circumstances and risk tolerance. You should consult your business advisor, attorney, or tax and accounting advisor regarding your specific business, legal or tax situation.

    • 4 min
    166 Recap: 401(k) Investment Risk in Real Numbers

    166 Recap: 401(k) Investment Risk in Real Numbers

    Learn more about retirement income and assessing risk by registering for our complimentary Journey to Retirement online workshop: https://merkleretirementplanning.com/workshops/

    Using terms like moderate, aggressive, and conservative to assess investment risk are subjective. What's aggressive to one person might be moderate to another and vice versa. When it comes to your 401(k), real numbers are the best way to assess your investment risk. In this recap, host Molly Nelson talks about how a risk assessment using real numbers helps you understand your 401(k) investments and make the proper adjustments to set you up for retirement.

    Molly Nelson, Host of Retiring Today https://merkleretirementplanning.com/staff-members/molly-nelson/

    Chapters:

    0:00 Why you should care about your investment risk in retirement

    1:40 What you can do if you are not comfortable with the risk level in your investment portfolio

    This video does not constitute an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation of any security or any other product or service by Merkle Retirement Planning LLC, Elite Retirement Planning LLC, MRP Insurance LLC, or any other third party regardless of whether such security, product or service is referenced in this episode. Furthermore, nothing in this episode is intended to provide tax, legal, or investment advice and nothing in this episode should be construed as a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any investment or security or to engage in any investment strategy or transaction. Merkle Retirement Planning, LLC does not represent that the securities, products, or services discussed in this episode are suitable for any particular investor. You are solely responsible for determining whether any investment, investment strategy, security or related transaction is appropriate for you based on your personal investment objectives, financial circumstances and risk tolerance. You should consult your business advisor, attorney, or tax and accounting advisor regarding your specific business, legal or tax situation.

    • 3 min
    166. Understanding Your 401(k) Account

    166. Understanding Your 401(k) Account

    Learn more about how you can prepare for retirement by downloading the complimentary Retire Your Way Toolkit - https://bit.ly/3wQnVLh

    Register for our next Journey to Retirement Online Workshop to learn more about building your income plan and a comprehensive retirement plan. - https://bit.ly/3wHyTTp



    In this episode of Retiring Today we dive into the 401(k) retirement account and explore common 401(k) misconceptions, maximum 401(k) contributions, and 401(k) investment strategies that can help optimize your investment risk level. We also discuss the important role a 401(k) account can play as part of a comprehensive retirement plan.



    Loren Merkle, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, RETIREMENT INCOME CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL FIDUCIARY®

    https://merkleretirementplanning.com/staff-members/loren-merkle/

    Chawn Honkomp, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, RETIREMENT INCOME CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL FIDUCIARY®, CPA®

    https://merkleretirementplanning.com/staff-members/chawn-honkomp/

    Molly Nelson, Host of Retiring Today

    https://merkleretirementplanning.com/staff-members/molly-nelson/



    Chapters

    00:00 A 401(k) Is Not A Retirement Plan

    01:25 The Advantages of a 401(k)

    02:05 The Downsides of a 401(k)

    03:08 Should You Use a 401(k) or a Roth 401(k)

    04:15 Changing How You Think About Your 401(k) Investment Strategy

    08:13 The Importance of Understanding Your 401(k) Investment Risk Level

    11:01 How to Evaluate Investment Risk In Numbers

    17:30 2024 401(K) Contribution Limits

    18:15 The 401(k) 59 1/2 Rule

    22:00 The 401(k) Is Not Designed for Investment Control

    24:15 401(k) Withdrawal Rules



    --

    This video does not constitute an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation of any security or any other product or service by Merkle Retirement Planning LLC, Elite Retirement Planning LLC, MRP Insurance LLC, or any other third party regardless of whether such security, product or service is referenced in this episode. Furthermore, nothing in this episode is intended to provide tax, legal, or investment advice and nothing in this episode should be construed as a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any investment or security or to engage in any investment strategy or transaction. Merkle Retirement Planning, LLC does not represent that the securities, products, or services discussed in this episode are suitable for any particular investor. You are solely responsible for determining whether any investment, investment strategy, security or related transaction is appropriate for you based on your personal investment objectives, financial circumstances and risk tolerance. You should consult your business advisor, attorney, or tax and accounting advisor regarding your specific business, legal or tax situation.

    • 28 min
    165. How Much Money You Need to Retire

    165. How Much Money You Need to Retire

    Learn more about how you can prepare for retirement by downloading the complimentary Retire Your Way Toolkit - https://bit.ly/42YU8Mw

    Register for our next Journey to Retirement Online Workshop to learn more about building your income plan and a comprehensive retirement plan. - https://bit.ly/49CaTzG



    In this episode of Retiring Today we discuss important mindset shifts when it comes to your retirement income. Discover key insights and strategies to help you navigate the transition from working life to retirement. Also learn how to you can start building your retirement income plan and understand how much you might need saved for retirement.



    Loren Merkle, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, RETIREMENT INCOME CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL FIDUCIARY®

    https://merkleretirementplanning.com/staff-members/loren-merkle/



    Molly Nelson, Host of Retiring Today

    https://merkleretirementplanning.com/staff-members/molly-nelson/



    Chapters

    00:00 How to Rethink Your Income in Retirement

    02:10 Retiring Without A Pension

    04:30 Does the 4% Rule Work?

    05:18 Do You Need $3 Million to Retire?

    06:35 When to Take Social Security

    09:00 How to File for Social Security

    13:00 Don't Use Rules of Thumb

    16:29 How to Build an Income Plan for Retirement

    23:15 Tax Efficient Income Strategies



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    This video does not constitute an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation of any security or any other product or service by Merkle Retirement Planning LLC, Elite Retirement Planning LLC, MRP Insurance LLC, or any other third party regardless of whether such security, product or service is referenced in this episode. Furthermore, nothing in this episode is intended to provide tax, legal, or investment advice and nothing in this episode should be construed as a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any investment or security or to engage in any investment strategy or transaction. Merkle Retirement Planning, LLC does not represent that the securities, products, or services discussed in this episode are suitable for any particular investor. You are solely responsible for determining whether any investment, investment strategy, security or related transaction is appropriate for you based on your personal investment objectives, financial circumstances and risk tolerance. You should consult your business advisor, attorney, or tax and accounting advisor regarding your specific business, legal or tax situation.

    • 28 min

Customer Reviews

3.7 out of 5
17 Ratings

17 Ratings

Cbonnell0564 ,

Scaremongers

Always trying to complicate retirement planning to get new clients. Everything is too hard: asset allocation, when to take ss, income in retirement. Also disingenuous to say the 4% rule won’t work if markets are bad early in retirement. That’s exactly what the 4% rule does say: in the worst conditions in the past a 4% withdrawal will not outlast your money.

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