Retiring Today

When you retire, you get back something you haven't had since you were a kid — around 2,000 hours a year of free time. But nobody prepares you for what that actually feels like. In this episode of Retiring Today, Molly, Loren, and Chawn explore what a fulfilling retirement actually looks like when you design it intentionally — around your time, your relationships, and the life you've been working...

Most estate planning mistakes aren't made by people who don't care, they're made by people who care deeply and act without the right guidance. In this episode of Retiring Today, Molly, Loren, and Chawn walk through the most common estate planning decisions that backfire: adding a child's name to a deed, naming the wrong beneficiary, setting up joint tenancy without understanding th...

It's the conversation most couples avoid — but avoiding it doesn't make it less likely to happen. When one spouse dies, the surviving partner can lose between a third and half of their household retirement income almost overnight. In this episode of Retiring Today, Molly, Loren, and Haley walk through what actually happens to your retirement when a spouse dies first — the income cliff, the widow's...

Most retirees overpay in taxes, not because they've done anything wrong, but because nobody has ever built a long-term tax plan around their retirement. In this episode of Retiring Today, Molly, Loren, and Clint show you how a coordinated tax, income, and investment plan could potentially save you $140,000 on your retirement tax bill. We cover why the tax blind spots exist, what it looks like when...

Only 23% of people near retirement age have a written retirement plan. In this episode of Retiring Today, Molly, Loren, and Chawn explore the five real reasons people put off retirement planning, the financial cost of each one, and what to do about it. From conflicting priorities and fear of bad news to distrust of advisors and the do-it-yourself mentality, today's show names the barriers that are...

Long-term care is one of the most overlooked and potentially costly parts of retirement planning. In this episode of Retiring Today, we walk through what long-term care really means, the likelihood you or a loved one may need it, and the financial impact it can have on your retirement. Most importantly, we introduce a modern approach to long-term care planning, a new way of thinking about how to p...

Most couples spend more time planning a vacation than they do planning their retirement together, and that gap has real financial consequences. In this episode of Retiring Today, Molly, Loren, and Chawn walk through the five retirement conversations every couple needs to have before they stop working, with each other and with their retirement planner. These aren't feel-good conversations. They...

Not all financial advisors are retirement planners, and that distinction could be worth thousands of dollars to you. In this episode of Retiring Today, Molly, Loren, and Clint pull back the curtain on the critical difference between an accumulation advisor and a comprehensive retirement planner. We explore why someone who has done a great job growing your money may not be equipped to help you live...

You've worked hard, saved diligently, and done everything right. But there's a question that keeps so many pre-retirees up at night: Will my money actually last? In this episode of Retiring Today, Molly, Loren, and Clint tackle one of the most fundamental fears in retirement, running out of money, and show you that with the right plan, it doesn't have to be your reality. We break down...

Market swings are inevitable, but your retirement plan doesn't have to be a victim to them. In this episode, we break down six proactive and reactive strategies you can use to protect your retirement lifestyle when the market gets volatile, plus a hypothetical example showing how one family saved over $12,800 using tax loss harvesting. Ready to take the next step?  Schedule a RetireReady Call at h...

Inheriting an IRA can feel overwhelming—emotionally and financially. With new rules requiring many beneficiaries to withdraw funds within 10 years, the decisions you make today could have long-term tax and retirement implications. In this episode, we walk through how to invest an inherited IRA, how withdrawal strategies impact your plan, and how to align this money with your personal goals. If you...

Retirement comes with opportunities, but it also brings financial risks that can catch people off guard. Learn eight common reasons retirees can run short on money and practical planning strategies that may help you prepare for a more confident retirement. Ready to take the next step? Schedule a RetireReady Call at https://bit.ly/4hu6DJo -- Get the tools you need to prepare for retirement with the...

If you have a large IRA balance and retirement is getting closer, your tax bill may be bigger than you expect. This episode breaks down why taxes catch so many retirees off guard and what you can do about it now. Ready to take your next step in retirement planning? Schedule a RetireReady Call at https://bit.ly/3Sy2vxl Download your copy of the Retiring Today Magazine at https://bit.ly/4nDw5eE Lore...

You saved diligently for decades. But the tax bill waiting inside your IRA may be larger than you think, and it can grow every year. Ready to take your next step in retirement planning? Schedule a RetireReady Call at https://bit.ly/3Sy2vxl Want to go deeper? Download the Tax Strategies for Retirement guide at MerkleTaxGuide.com In this episode, Loren Merkle, Molly Nelson, and Chawn Honkomp break d...

Retirement isn’t a single event, it’s a journey that can span 20, 30 or even 40 years. The financial decisions you face at age 50 may look very different from the ones you’ll encounter in your 60s, 70s and beyond. In this episode, we explore the key planning priorities that often emerge during each decade of retirement and how those decisions can affect your long-term financial picture. From decid...

What role can annuities play in retirement planning, and how do you know if they may be worth considering? In this episode, we break down the pros, cons and complexities of annuities in a practical, easy-to-understand way. From income features and potential downside protection to fees, surrender charges and liquidity concerns, you’ll learn why annuities may be a helpful tool for some retirees, but...

What does it take to build a retirement plan designed to support you for 20, 30 or even 40 years? In this episode, Loren Merkle, Molly Nelson and Haley Gutschenritter explain why owning IRAs, 401(k)s, annuities and savings accounts does not automatically create a retirement strategy. Using the analogy of construction blueprints versus tools, they explain how a written retirement plan can help coor...

Even if you already have an estate plan in place, there’s a good chance it may not work the way you think. In this episode, Loren Merkle, Molly Nelson, and guest attorney Charlie Bottenberg of Brick Gentry P.C. discuss how estate planning has evolved — and why outdated documents, old trust language, and overlooked beneficiary designations could create unintended tax consequences, probate issues, o...

Most retirees no longer have a pension, and that changes everything about how you build retirement income. If you've ever felt like retirement planning is harder than it used to be, this episode explains exactly why, and what you can do about it. Ready to take your first step in retirement planning? Schedule a RetireReady Call at https://bit.ly/42nu7qP Download your copy of the Retiring Today...

A massive $124 trillion is expected to pass from one generation to the next over the next 20 years, but most families aren’t talking about it. In this episode, Retirement Planners Loren Merkle and Clint Huntrods break down why inheritance conversations are often avoided, the disconnect between parents and children, and how a lack of communication can impact both finances and family relationships....

Social Security is the elephant in the room when it comes to retirement planning. Everyone knows the decision is there, but between your neighbor who claimed at 62 and your coworker waiting until 70, it's hard to know what you should actually do. For a married couple, this decision can impact over a million dollars in lifetime retirement income. For a single filer, it can impact $500,000 or mo...

If 65 has been your retirement target, ask yourself why. For most people it comes down to one thing, health care before Medicare kicks in. The good news is there are more options than most people realize. Retiring before 65 involves more than just solving the health care gap. You also need a plan for your taxes, your investments, your income, and how long that money needs to last. This episode wal...

Imagine retiring with $750,000 and watching it drop by 30% in year one. A market drop like that can have a real impact on your retirement income. In this episode, we break down the bucket strategy, a way to divide your money into three buckets designed to help protect your income during market downturns. We also cover how to evaluate the risk you’re currently taking and how it may need to change i...

Last year, 1.1 million people were laid off, numbers not seen since 2020. And 40% of people retire earlier than they planned. If a layoff or buyout is on your radar, the decisions you make about health care, taxes, and your 401(k) will follow you for the rest of your retirement. Key Takeaways: ✅ Losing your job doesn't mean losing your health insurance. COBRA can keep you covered for up to 18...

You saved. You planned. You built a $2 million IRA, but every dollar in that account has never been taxed before. The question was never if you'd pay taxes on it, the question is how much? With proactive strategies in place, you may be able to keep a lot more of that money than you'd expect. In this episode, Loren Merkle and Clint Huntrods walk through three strategies for pre-retirees sit...