Retirement 360

With the recent market turbulence that’s been occurring off-and-on during the past week, this might be a good thought to think on: “Consider the postage stamp: its usefulness consists in the ability to stick to one thing ‘til it gets there.” Penned by American humorist Josh Billings, it’s a quote that can apply to many aspects of life.

Do you pull your steak off the grill when it’s halfway cooked? Or get partway through a job at work and then never finish up? What about a house project—would you paint half of your house, and then decide that’s good enough? The answer to all these questions is probably not.

This same concept can be applied to the recent market hiccups. This week on Retirement 360, wealth advisors Troy Bolton and Aaron Ulrich will be discussing why it’s important to make sure you’ve got a plan you can stick to like a stamp, no matter what might come your way. Joined by co-host Tony Vanetti, we’ll be going over why it’s important to know the difference between minor market fluctuations and an outright crash.

What’s even more important is making sure that your game plan is built to be able to meet your goals, through good times and bad, and can be flexible enough to easily handle minor market corrections.

With the big game coming up this weekend, a good majority of the nation's focus will be glued to their screens either watching the game or waiting for the halftime show to roll around. Snacks will be purchased, couches arranged for optimal viewing, and schedules cleared to fully enjoy the day.

Amid all the snacking and quirky commercials though, there is something that many rarely think about.

For the players, this is a day they have worked towards for

years, probably even to back when they were first digging their cleats into a muddy high school field. Both teams are built up with people who have poured their time and dedication into something that mattered to them. No matter who you're rooting for on Sunday, this dedication is something we can admire-and also apply to our own dreams.

All of us have goals or ambitions we work towards. Surprisingly though, many don't see retirement as something to which we need to really devote ourselves to.

This week on Retirement 360, Kentuckiana's Retirement Coach Alan Mercurio alongside co-hosts Troy Bolton and Tony Vanetti will be discussing how important it is to make sure you've got a game plan going years before you hit the finish line. Whether it's wondering about putting an extra layer of financial protection over your accounts, thinking about the healthcare aspects of your strategies, or what options you have for the 401ks you may have accumulated over the years-we'll be going over how all of it can factor into your final plan.

The experience of worrying is, at one time or another, something we all go through. I don't mean casual uncertainties either- did they remember I said no tomatoes on my sandwich? Did I pack everything for the trip? Is it going to rain during a birthday party?

Those concerns are usually just thoughts that pass by us in the day. Real worries are things that stick with you for months, sometimes years. We try and think through them, come up with a band-aid solution to buy us some time, or maybe even just stick them in a corner hoping they'll disappear.

In the end though we all must face up to them, armed with a plan to put in place. It might sound simple but ultimately, that's the secret: the sooner you have a plan, the sooner you won't have to deal with the things bothering you.

This week on Retirement 360 with Louisville's Retirement Coach Alan Mercurio and co-host Tony Vanetti, we're going to be showing our listeners plans to overcome some of the worries we hear about the most. Whether you're wondering what you'll do if your current advisor is about to retire, if you need to be ready to support your parents through retirement, and whether it's possible to overcome market-envy with your risk level in mind-we've got answers!

On the last weekend of the year - Retirement 360 with Louisville's Retirement Coach Alan Mercurio and host Tony Vanetti, will look back at some of the highlights that earned our greatests responses from listeners like you!

When most people go to the grocery, they don't pick food marked as "suitable". The word "suitable" in and of itself gives off the air of something being just okay-not the worst, but not the best either. We all strive to have the best of whatever we're after in life-we aim for the highest of what we can afford and attain, rather than setting our sights on sub-par quality. For years though, many retirement agencies have just had to abide by something called the "suitability standard". This standard-as I'm sure you can guess-meant that the advisor didn't necessarily have to give you the best advice for you-they only had to give advice that was somewhat okay for you but, more importantly, whatever was the best advice for them. While the recent Department of Labor ruling that all retirement advisors must now follow a fiduciary standard and instead give advice on what is best for the clients instead, questions remain about what this really means for you.

This week on Retirement 360 with Kentuckiana's Retirement Coach Alan Mercurio and co-host Tony Vanetti, we'll be going over what a fiduciary really is, and the four major loopholes you need to be on the lookout for when it comes to choosing a financial advisor. While all retirement advisors are now required to follow the fiduciary standard, many are trying to slip fees into contracts with their clients without making it expressly clear to them. Even worse are those who are choosing to become dually registered as following both the suitability clause and fiduciary standards, which means you don't know which rule they're applying to the advice they give you. Making sure you have an advisor who follows a fiduciary standard is paramount to making sure the advice you receive is the best you can get. Joining us will also be Rhonda Day, a vacation expert who will be discussing some of the things retirees need to be on the lookout for when using a travel agent to plan their getaways. Don't miss this week's Retirement 360, to make sure you're staying ahead of the game.