Retirement 360

As springtime gradually makes its appearance in the Kentuckiana area, many of us have started to think about what house projects we want to get done before winter comes around again. You've probably seen one of the many fix-it-up housing shows that have had a huge boost in popularity in recent years.

The idea is generally the same across the board: a couple or a team of people purchase a "fixer upper" house. In the span of an hour the group rapidly transforms a rickety shack, run-down two-story, or cheerless split level into a housing masterpiece. While it's fun to watch, shows like these don't have time to go over the weeks of work or countless people who pitched in to finish everything that needed to be done. The projects they take on aren't things that can be fixed in a snap-and neither are financial problems if you don't face them head on.

This week on Retirement 360 with Kentuckiana's Retirement Coach Alan Mercurio, we're going to be discussing how you can't ever let your retirement plan get to a point where it's a "fixer-upper". Alan and Wealth Advisor Troy Bolton are going to be discussing some of the mistakes retirees make in their pre-retirement years that can put plans off track, and what solutions are available to make sure you're not scrambling to fix things up right before your retirement date.

As springtime gradually makes its appearance in the Kentuckiana area, many of us have started to think about what house projects we want to get done before winter comes around again. You've probably seen one of the many fix-it-up housing shows that have had a huge boost in popularity in recent years.

The idea is generally the same across the board: a couple or a team of people purchase a "fixer upper" house. In the span of an hour the group rapidly transforms a rickety shack, run-down two-story, or cheerless split level into a housing masterpiece. While it's fun to watch, shows like these don't have time to go over the weeks of work or countless people who pitched in to finish everything that needed to be done. The projects they take on aren't things that can be fixed in a snap-and neither are financial problems if you don't face them head on.

This week on Retirement 360 with Kentuckiana's Retirement Coach Alan Mercurio, we're going to be discussing how you can't ever let your retirement plan get to a point where it's a "fixer-upper". Alan and Wealth Advisor Troy Bolton are going to be discussing some of the mistakes retirees make in their pre-retirement years that can put plans off track, and what solutions are available to make sure you're not scrambling to fix things up right before your retirement date.

Easter is hopping closer and families will celebrate this weekend. Whether it's an egg hunt with your grandkids, ham and turkey with family and friends, or quiet time with a hobby you love, remember that these moments are what you want to replicate in the future. Live your life your way, today and tomorrow!

Easter is hopping closer and families will celebrate this weekend. Whether it's an egg hunt with your grandkids, ham and turkey with family and friends, or quiet time with a hobby you love, remember that these moments are what you want to replicate in the future. Live your life your way, today and tomorrow!

American actor John Wayne once said that, "Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway."

Most of us remember Wayne as one of the biggest stars of Western film in the 20th century, perpetually seated on horseback and riding off to fight the latest bad guy in a countless number of films. While well-known now, Wayne started off as a nobody. He picked up gigs as an extra throughout the 1920s and didn't hit in big until 1939 as Ringo Kid in Stagecoach. That's nearly twenty years of being paid peanuts to pursue his dream in the movies. Wayne didn't see it as a bad thing though-instead, no matter how shaky his prospects might be, he always got back in the saddle and kept going, knowing that the end goal was worth it.

This week on Retirement 360 with Louisville's Retirement Coach Alan Mercurio, we're going to be talking about how taking Wayne's approach and applying it to how you see retirement can help pre-retirees keep a steady course. We've all worked hard over the years to save as much as we can, but then begin to doubt whether we'll truly be able to handle retirement when the time comes. Worries about long-term care costs, inflation, and simply not having enough to pay the bills without that weekly paycheck are some of the most frequent concerns. Some get so worried that they cut their budgets to bare bones for fear of unexpected costs bankrupting their future selves or put off retiring altogether. There's a better answer: build a plan you're confident in and stick to it.

With spring just around the corner (if you pay no mind to the random snow we've been gifted the past few weeks), you'll find lots of things will be popping up soon. Flowers, Derby hats, allergies, and better weather are all bound to start making their appearances in the coming months---along with our beloved spring cleaning chores.

While most of us are content to "get to it later" when it comes to house chores in the winter, we end up facing the music when springtime comes around. It might be tempting to adopt a winter attitude towards your financial health, but this week we're going to be discussing why it's important you start now-not later-on your financial spring cleaning.

This week on Retirement 360 with Kentuckiana's Retirement Coach Alan Mercurio and co-host Tony Vanetti, we're going to show you how basic upkeep on your accounts should be the first item on your to-do list this spring. Keeping up-to-date with new market trends like Bitcoin, figuring out how the new tax laws might affect your accounts, and planning on how to maximize your growth for the coming year are all chores where it pays (literally) to see the task through.

Anyone who has begun even the preliminary stages of retirement planning knows that you're going to have to face some challenges. Even just thinking about not having the promise of that weekly paycheck to get your bills paid can be worrying.

But, as writer T.S. Eliot once wrote, "If you aren't in over your head, how do you know how tall you are?" Retirement is something that has so many facets playing into it that it's impossible to just "wing it" and try for a quick band-aid solution. While it might be overwhelming to face down, your future self will thank you for the time and dedication you put towards building a solid game plan.

This week on Retirement 360, Kentuckiana's Retirement Coach Alan Mercurio and co-host Tony Vanetti will be discussing some tips to keep in mind when it comes to facing the challenges retirement planning can bring on. Market volatility, getting yourself and spouse on the same financial page, hidden fees, and looming tax changes all present potential problems your plan must be able to handle. The good news? They are problems-but not impossible ones. Just as Eliot pointed out, you really will be surprised how much you can accomplish, even when you're in over your head.

With tax season in full swing, many of us have our minds on our finances. This is the time of the year we reflect back on how things went for us-good and bad-in the markets. For those nearing retirement, it becomes an even more critical period as you approach the finish line of your working years.

What we have in our pensions, 401(k)s, IRAs, and even just your savings account suddenly starts to matter a lot when we begin looking at replacing a paystub with money from our own investments. This can be overwhelming, sometimes even downright scary to think about-but there's no reason to panic.

This week on Retirement 360, Kentuckiana's Retirement Coach Alan Mercurio, wealth advisor Troy Bolton, and co-host Tony Vanetti will be sharing some key insights on how proper planning can prepare you for leaving behind the workforce. Whether it's worries about potential "tax bombs" that might be waiting for you this tax season, the time frame you should have for retirement, or even how to figure out what your goals are-we've got answers.

With tax season in full swing, many of us have our minds on our finances. This is the time of the year we reflect back on how things went for us-good and bad-in the markets. For those nearing retirement, it becomes an even more critical period as you approach the finish line of your working years.

What we have in our pensions, 401(k)s, IRAs, and even just your savings account suddenly starts to matter a lot when we begin looking at replacing a paystub with money from our own investments. This can be overwhelming, sometimes even downright scary to think about-but there's no reason to panic.

This week on Retirement 360, Kentuckiana's Retirement Coach Alan Mercurio, wealth advisor Troy Bolton, and co-host Tony Vanetti will be sharing some key insights on how proper planning can prepare you for leaving behind the workforce. Whether it's worries about potential "tax bombs" that might be waiting for you this tax season, the time frame you should have for retirement, or even how to figure out what your goals are-we've got answers.

When we're younger, we learn a hard lesson: life doesn't offer any solid guarantees. We can't hold up a signed contract when we lose the Little League game, or it rains on our birthdays, jabbing a finger at a spot where life promised us exactly what we wanted. Keep in mind this isn't always a bad thing either.

Haven't we all just known something would go badly, but instead turns out okay? Just as we don't have any guarantees for something going right, we aren't guaranteed for things to go wrong either. It's a two-sided coin, and one we can't do away with. The only real answer is to make sure we have a plan in place to handle any circumstance-good or bad-that comes our way.

This week on Retirement 360, wealth advisors Troy Bolton and Aaron Ulrich are going to be discussing how the financial world also doesn't offer guarantees-and why that's okay. Alongside co-host Tony Vanetti, we'll be discussing how the recent market turbulence is something we all have to expect in one way or another. Your retirement plan has to be flexible enough to handle the ups with the downs, as we're guaranteed to experience both.