Retirement 360

The baseball playoff's are underway, so we're giving you a sports analogy tied into your financial planning.

When you’re trying to figure how much money you’ll need in retirement, the first question is – how many years do you think you’ll need to pay for? Unfortunately, we can only guess at that number.

Alan Mercurio and Morningstar’s David Blanchett say most of us are not very good guessers… they give us some tips on how to handle this question while designing a financial plan.

What would you be willing to sacrifice if it meant you could retire 10 years sooner than planned?

You've been working your whole life to get here and what happens? A global pandemic takes over the world, and election with unprecedented consequences is looming in the fall, civil rest is all around and you're just trying to retire.

This week Alan talks about all of these concerns, the solutions and how still meet your goals despite our current situation.

Are you letting the election coverage influence any of your investment decisions? How have these unprecedented times impacted your decision making when it comes to retirement planning?

Alan and Randy take some time this week to talk about what the reality of your investment decisions could be leading up to the election and help put you in the best position heading into November.

How is monopoly like retirement planning? Is it a game of luck or game of skill?

Most people say a little of both. You can’t control what happens with the dice, but you can control what happens next. Alan and Randy take some time on this week's radio show to talk about how a children's board game can teach you a lot about retirement planning if you're thinking about it the right way.

In a trade magazine named "Physician's Practice" they say that doctors think they have an easier time planning for retirement since they're such high earners... but how true is that in reality?

Are high earners simply more prepared for retirement? Does this mean low earners won't be able to even plan for their retirement? Alan and Randy discuss this thought process and the truth behind each question.

We hear the age-old investment advice to not put all your eggs into one basket, which makes index funds really attractive for a lot of people since they're already so diversified. Did you know that of all the gains seen in the S&P 500 since March, 30% have all come from only 6 stocks? Alan & Randy talk about what companies have been driving the S&P 500 and how diversification isn't "automatic" when it comes to index funds.

We hear every day about the downsides of COVID-19 and it's effects on the market... but are their positives we're not thinking about? Troy and Randy discuss these easily ignored upsides we've been seeing when it comes to Coronavirus and your retirement.

Also, we have talked about how all the Federal stimulus money may lead to tax hikes in the future. But don’t forget state and local governments are hurting too. Do you see a tax “double whammy” in the future?

Where are you getting your education about retirement? It's no secret that the confusing path to retirement lacks a bit of transparency but we're trying to change that. In this episode we talk about the educational content we're creating and how you can access it.

This week we go back in time to some of our favorite segments from the beginning of the year until now. Alan weighs in on some important financial topics and continues his stance on transparency and education when it comes to retirement planning.

Fifty-five years…and counting. The soap opera “Days of Our Lives” is one of the longest-running scripted TV shows in the world! Some things stand the test of time … while others fall by the wayside. What are some common retirement planning beliefs that have not held up very well?

Also, according to a Transamerica study, only 1 in 4 workers have taken this essential step before leaving the workforce. That step is…developing a written plan for retirement. The article says you are “flying blind” without this step. Is it that critical and why?