Retirement 360

Historically, whenever the market goes down, at some point investors rush in and “buy the dip" but could this dip be different? We hear audio from Allianz's Chief Economic Advisor Mohammad El Erian advising caution when trying to time the market. Are people afraid of running out of money? A survey from both Schroders and Schwab both confirm this. The Schroders survey asked people 40 and up. 42% ha...

The DOW slid almost 13% in one week due to the news of the Coronavirus. When will it stop? Will it continue to slide? Alan and Randy talk about how this recent scare has affected the market and what they expect it to do when comparing it to previous outbreaks. In contrast to the Coronavirus talk, Randy and Alan also talk about a "backdoor Roth IRA" and go through the pros and cons of going into re...

Did you know that even though people 50+ only make up 35% of the population but pay 59% of all federal income taxes?! Alan and Randy talk about this and more in this weeks radio show and talk a bit about how you can opt out of that statistic. Is having your money in a hedge fund the best bet? Alan talks a bit about how Wall Street's most successful hedge fund fell short when compared to most run-o...

Politics and investing... How are they affecting your portfolio? A new study claims that mutual fund managers tend to invest more money in companies that share their same political beliefs and it could end up costing you. How long do you think you will spend in retirement? For most people, the answer is longer than they expect. Will you live to be 90? 100? Maybe even 150? The more important questi...

Volatility in the market is causing a lot of retirement savers to pull their money out of the market, but Fidelity thinks they might be over reacting. For instance, what happens if you take your money out and then the market goes up? Then you're just leaving money on the table. Troy talks a bit about this and the risks associated with pulling your money out of the market during volatility. The age...

So... Is another recession really on the way? If a recession does hit, how is going to effect you if you're in (or nearing) retirement? Alan talks a bit about this and also talks a bit about how your financial plan should have planned for a possible recession. There are some people who aren't planning to retire for a very grim reason...They don't expect to live that long. The truth of the matter i...

How much risk is too much risk in retirement? How much risk should you be keeping in your portfolio as you start to exit the work force and enter into retirement? Patrick Kelley, the author of Stress Free Retirement, says it all depends on when you're going to actually need the money that you're investing. Don't tell your lawyer friends, but there's a new phone app that actually lets you draw up a...

Have you heard about Uncle Sam and his retirement plan? Here's a hint - he doesn't retire when you do. Your taxes are essentially Uncle Sam's "retirement plan" and when you retire, you only keep on paying them. Alan talks a bit about paying taxes in retirement and how to factor them in to your anticipated retirement income. Does it make sense to convert your Traditional IRA to a Roth IRA? What are...

What do Bill Belicheck and Warren Buffet have in common? They're planners. While Belicheck might do his planning on the field and Buffet in the bank, both have a set plan for what they're doing and understand every step along the way. This week we talk about how having a game plan for your retirement is incredibly important and how you're leaving money on the table if you're not planning properly....

If you're still investing in index funds while nearing retirement, a recent Forbes article says you could be making a costly mistake. Many retirees or people closing in on retirement depend heavily on this traditional investment strategy and a recent article says there might be better ways to do so. Even if you haven't taken the time to set up an official state plan, you already have one whether y...

According to the Stock Trader’s Almanac, in years preceding presidential elections since 1971, the July-October span marked the worst four months. The Dow and the S&P 500 index have tended to peak in July, bounced around in the next couple of months, and dropped in October, ending with losses by Halloween. Should some of us go into “financial hiding” for a while? Did you know that you could get a...

The economy is currently in a good spot... but the Federal Reserve is cutting interest rates? Is this normal? Alan walks you through the traditional process the Federal Reserve follows when it comes to interest rates and explains why the Federal Reserve has decided to cut rates. Did you know that according to a survey from Nationwide Retirement Institute fewer than 1 in 4 people can name the four...

When you sit down with a financial advisor, one of the main reasons you do so is to find out if and when you're able to retire. When you're trying to decide that, what factors are you looking at? Alan goes through some of the main factors that help make this decision and talks about the questions he asks in his planning process. Did you know that about 20% of Americans over the age of 65 are still...

Is another recession coming? How can you protect yourself? A new study from Allianz Life says that 48% of middle class americans fear a major recession, which is higher than it was last quarter. What are you doing to prepare? The Street is calling for a "Target Income Fund" to be created, but what does it do? Alan walks us through what the creation of the fund would accomplish and how it would ben...

This Sunday, tune in to Retirement360 with MWA advisor Alan Mercurio and host, Randy Cook, as they take on the latest tending news. Are you planning to celebrate Bobby Bonilla Day? Better yet, did you know that even though he retired from baseball in 2001, Bobby Bonilla still receives a check for $1,193,248.20 from the New York Mets on the first of every July? Are you receiving the right financial...

This Sunday, tune in to Retirement360 with MWA advisor Alan Mercurio and host, Randy Cook, as they take on the latest tending news. How much of of your salary do you need to save? 10 times or even 16 times? Are the writers at Motley Fool correct? What and who are you supposed to believe? Have you done a "Stress Test" on your retirement plan, and what does that entail? And, how does citizenship pla...

Often, we at MWA discuss the term Retirement Plan. Your Retirement Plan is unique to you, your goals, your needs, and your family's wants. There are ways to achieve these goals, and there are some myths that need to be addressed because they may not be the most viable options. This week on Retirement360, MWA advisor Alan Mercurio and host, Randy Cook, highlight some common fallacies on securing yo...

Check in with Louisville's Retirement Coach, Alan Mercurio, and his friends as they discuss news and how it may affect your planning.

This week on Retirement360, MWA advisor Alan Mercurio and host, Randy Cook, dive in to the importance of finding the right financial advisor and why you would consider meeting one sooner rather than later. At MWA, we focus on education and the necessary steps families need to take to make sure their retirement is sound. Planning for retirement is more than taking your last of work - it is ensuring...

Following the guidance of ultra-investors like Warren Buffett, one wonders how everyday families could practice their beliefs. Beyond picking the right investments and wanting to grow your accounts - Buffet seems to advocate protection even more. “There are too many investors on Wall Street who measure performance based solely on the returns gained. A better measure would be risk-adjusted return....

Are financial services moving towards a Netflix-like subscription model? Maybe. Schwab had recently announced it will charge a $30 monthly fee for "unlimited advisory services, and automatic trades." While this might sound appealing to some, these clients will not have the benefit of custom planning, income planning or tax and estate planning. Robo Advisors might be easier - but are they better? T...

Every day we meet families who all have similar questions or expectations for their retirement. While we know two families are not the same, there are a few questions they all seem to ask: What about fees? Who and what are being paid? We dive into the three most common groups of fees: Administrative fees, Investment fees, and Individual service fees Am I being taxed on Social Security? Yes, since...

Taxes - Pensions - And knowing your Risks! by Alan Mercurio

This week on Retirement360, MWA advisor Alan Mercurio returns with host, Randy Cook and they take on one last trick before you file your taxes - putting money away in your traditional IRA and it will still count for last year. How is it possible? You'll soon find out! Personal finance guru, Suze Orman, says it's not the first 10-15 years of retirement that should concern you, its the following 10-...

This week on Retirement360, MWA advisor Troy Bolton and host, Randy Cook are talking taxes - but with a focus on what to do when YOU are the beneficiary. Many families will set up tax efficient legacies for your loved ones, but what happens when you inherit a 401(k)? How do you roll over the assets? How can you prolong RMDs? And most importantly, how do you navigate the taxes? We often discuss the...