All Episodes
Retiring Today — 254 episodes
235. The Biggest Mistakes People Make When Claiming Social Security
234. 7 Steps to Retire Before 65. Even If You Think You Can't Afford To
233. What If the Market Crashes in Your First Year of Retirement?
232 Laid Off After 55? What to Do About Health Care, Taxes, and Your 401(k)
231. Three Retirement Planning Strategies for Large IRAs ($2 Million Example)
230. Retirement Taxes Explained: Pre-Tax Accounts, Roth Strategies, RMDs, and Social Security
229. The Hidden Crisis: Loneliness in Retirement, Loss of Purpose, and How to Reconnect
228. Do Roth Conversions Still Make Sense in 2026?
227. The 6 Components of a Retirement Plan (And Why It's Not Just Your 401(k))
226. We Stress Test a $1 Million Retirement Plan
225. How Long Does $1 Million Last in Retirement?
224. How New Tax Laws Actually Affect Your Retirement Plan
223. The Retirement Ready Checklist: 9 Moves to Make Before You Retire
222. The One Big Beautiful Bill Explained for Retirees
221. How The One Big Beautiful Bill Affects Retirement Taxes | Explaining the New $6,000 Senior Deduction
220. Retirement Milestones By Decade | Decisions to Make In Your 50s, 60s, and 70s
219. What You Need to Know Before Enrolling in Medicare (Fact or Fiction)
218. How to Start Planning for Retirement (Halloween Pt. 2)
217. How to Know If You're Retirement-Ready at Age 55 | Halloween Part 1
216. What You Should Know About Inheriting Money
215. The Top 10 Retirement Wake-Up Calls
214. 4 Types of Investors—and the Mistakes They Make in Retirement
213. Debunking 8 Retirement Myths About Investments
212. 7 Questions Your Financial Advisor Should Be Asking—But Probably Isn’t
211. How Do I Stack Up? A Look at National Averages and What a 25-Year Retirement Could Cost.
210. Why Staying Invested Matters
209. Long Term Care Costs, Options, and Planning
208. Debunking Common Retirement Tax Myths
207. Avoid These 5 Traps When Estate Planning in Retirement
206. Avoid These 4 Lifestyle Traps as You Plan for Retirement
205. The Basics of Legacy Planning with Estate Planning Attorney Charlie Bottenburg
204. 5 Retirement Income Traps in Retirement
203. How Market Volatility Can Create Opportunities
202. Three Health Care Traps In Retirement
201. 4 Retirement Tax Traps (And How to Avoid Them)
200. Three Retirement Investment Traps (And How To Avoid Them)
198. Three Ways to Lower Taxes in Retirement
197. The Retirement Planning Checklist
196. What To Do With Your 401(k) When You Retire
195. What You Need to Know About RMDs in 2025
194. Why You Should Plan For a Longer Retirement
193. Retire Earlier Than Expected
192. The Roth IRA 5-Year Rule
191. Test Driving Retirement
189. Debunking Social Security Myths
188. The Complete Guide to Medicare in 2025
187. 5 Strategies for Year-End Tax Planning
186. What is an IRA?
185. The Ultimate Checklist to Help Beat Inflation
184. The 6 Pillars of a Comprehensive Retirement Plan
183. There's No Place Like Retirement (Halloween Part 2)
182. We're Off To Plan Retirement! (Halloween Part 1)
181. Medicare Changes For 2025
180. 64 and Dreaming Of Retirement?
179. Retirement Planning At Age 62
178. Celebrate 59.5 with Smart Retirement Strategies
177. Crucial Retirement Decisions at Age 57
176. The Presidential Election and Your Retirement | Part 1: Markets
175. 8 Reasons to Retire Early
174. Tax Strategies Made Simple
RECAP 173. Preparing for Rising Costs: Inflation and Your Retirement
RECAP 173. How to Combat Inflation in Retirement: Investment and Income Strategies
173. How to Plan for Rising Costs in Retirement
RECAP 172. Wrap Your Mind Around $650 Billion and Why You Should Care
RECAP 172. $650 Billion Left On the Table in Tax Savings: What Can You Do?
172. Retirement Tax Planning Mistakes You Can Easily Avoid
171. Recap: Will Your Social Security Last? A Benefit Outlook
171. Recap: Maximizing Your Social Security: Strategies for a Smart Election
171. When You Should Elect Social Security
170. Recap: How You Can Keep Your Retirement Savings Safe
170. Recap: Ask Your Advisor These Questions as You Get Closer to Retirement | Episode Recap
170. How You Can Protect Your Nest Egg & Retire With Confidence
169. Recap: The 6 Pillars of a Retirement Plan
169. Recap: Don't Set Your Retirement Plan and Forget It
169. Don't Set Your Retirement Plan & Forget It
168. Recap: Ask Your Financial Advisor These Important Questions
168. Recap: Ask Tough Questions to Protect Your Retirement
168. What To Do When Your Advisor Is Retiring
167. Recap: The Probate Process Explained
167 Recap: Take Control of Your Future: Getting Started with Your Legacy Plan
167. Getting Started with Legacy Planning
166 Recap: The 59 1/2 Decision - 401k vs. IRA?
166 Recap: 401(k) Investment Risk in Real Numbers
166. Understanding Your 401(k) Account
165. How Much Money You Need to Retire
164. Retire Before 65 by Rethinking Your Health Care Options
163. How to Build Your Investment Portfolio for Retirement
162. Understanding Taxes in Retirement
161. 3 Ways to Overcome the Fear of Running Out of Money in Retirement
160. Rethink Retirement at 65
159. The Importance of Planning Your Funeral in Advance
158. Rethink Retirement: Legacy
157. Medicare: You Can’t Set it and Forget It (Rebroadcast)
156. Three Ways to Overcome Fear of Running Out of Money in Retirement
155. Your Medicare Questions Answered (Rebroadcast)
154. People Fear Retirement More Than Death (Rebroadcast)
153. Rethink Retirement: Taxes
152. What They Don't Tell You About Electing Social Security (Rebroadcast)
151. Rethink Retirement: Income
150. Retirement Mysteries Solved Part 2
149. Retirement Mysteries Solved Part 1
148. Why Investment Aren't Enough (Rebroadcast)
147. 10 Questions to Help You Find The Right Retirement Planner (Rebroadcast)
146. You're Ready to Retire. Now What?
145. Medicare: You Can’t Set it and Forget It
144. Explode Your Tax Savings: Discover 3 Commonly Overlooked Opportunities
143. How 10 Types of Retirement Income are Taxed (Rebroadcast)
142. What Does Customized Really Mean?
141. Your Medicare Questions Answered
140. The Truth About Mutual Funds
139. What They Don’t Tell You About Electing Social Security
138. Breaking Down the Financial Headlines to Find Opportunity in Chaos
137. People Fear Retirement More Than Death
136. Investment Recovery Playbook
135. Retire Your Way: Longevity, Health Care
134. Retire Your Way: The Power Of Planning
133. Should I Consider a Lump Sum Pension Payout?
132. 10 Questions to Help You Find The Right Retirement Planner
131. The Retirement Rule That's (Mostly) Wrong (Rebroadcast)
130. Why Investments Aren't Enough
129. Eight Things Medicare Doesn't Pay For
128. The Importance of Planning Your Funeral in Advance
127. Tax Mindset Makeover: Transform The Way You Think About Taxes
126. Could the Debt Limit Crisis Derail Your Retirement?
125. Finding Joy in Retirement with Joy Connoisseur Lisa Even
124. The Showdown: Plan vs. Decision
123. Are You Ready to Retire? (Rebroadcast)
122. Why Retirement is Different for Women
121. What's The Best Way to Leave Money to Your Children and Grandchildren?
120. How 10 Types of Retirement Income Are Taxed
119. Myths About Social Security: Solved
118. Miserable Markets Could be Good News for you
117. Retiring Through The Decades: 50s
116. Retiring Through The Decades: 70s
115. Retiring Through The Decades: 60s
114. SECURE Act 2.0 Part Three: Catch-Up Contributions and Annuities
113. SECURE Act 2.0 Part Two: 529 Plans and Roth Changes
112. SECURE Act 2.0 Part One: What You Need to Know
A Special Message from Loren Merkle on 2023
111. You Can Thank Inflation for These 2023 Changes
110. Is 2023 The Year You Retire?
109. The Retirement Red Zone
108. Only 11% of Pre-Retirees Plan to Delay Social Security Until 70
A Special Thanksgiving Message
107. Breaking Down 4 Retirement Barriers
106. There's a Recession: Who's Helping You Through It?
105. The Three Stages of Money
104. Preparing for Retirement in 2023
103. Could a Recession Ruin Your Retirement?
102. Eliminating RMD Surprises
101. How to Find the Best Senior Living Option
100. How Retirement has Changed Over the Last 100 Episodes
99. 4 Strategies to Combat Rising Inflation
98. Medicare Law Updates and What They Could Mean for You
97. How to Navigate the Caregiving Path
96. Could Your 401(k) be a Tax Trap?
95. The Importance of a Succession Plan
94. Preparing for Medicare Annual Enrollment
93. The Retirement Rule That's (Mostly) Wrong
92. Roth Conversions are on Sale
91. What is a Stock Market Crash?
90. Women in Retirement
89. Strategies to Utilize in a Bear Market
88. Should I Buy Bonds?
87. Sneaky IRA Rules
86. What to Do During a Market Meltdown
85. Income Tax Changes in Iowa
84. Your Merkle Plan Series: Legacy
83. Your Merkle Plan Series: Health Care
82. Your Merkle Plan Series: Investments
81. Your Merkle Plan Series: Taxes
80. Your Merkle Plan Series: Income
79. Your Merkle Plan Series: Lifestyle
78. What Happens to my 401(k) When I Retire?
77. Are You Ready to Retire?
76. Decoding Inherited IRA Rules
75. The Web's Most Searched Retirement Questions Part 2
74. The Web's Most Searched Retirement Questions Part 1
73. How Do I Get Paid in Retirement
72. Frequently Asked Retirement Questions
71. Market Swings Don't Equal Retirement Swings
70. Stop Procrastinating Your Legacy Plan
69. 2022: A Look Ahead
68. The Great Resignation
67. 5 Retirement Resolutions
66. Legacy Planning 101
65. When to Involve Your Kids In Your Retirement
64. Qualified Charitable Distributions
63. The Price is Right: Inflation Edition
62. Social Security
61. The Retirement Ghostbusters
60. Breaking Up is Hard to Do
59. Should Couples Retire Together?
58. Your Retirement Is More Than A Google Search
57. Medigap vs. Advantage Plans
56. The Power of Compound Interest
55. Required Minimum Distributions
54. Single in Retirement
53. The Retirement Game of Life
52. Organizing Your Retirement Junk Drawer
51. Stock Market Rollercoaster
50. 5 Ways to Boost Your Retirement Savings
49. How will President Biden’s $2.3 trillion dollar infrastructure bill affect your retirement?
48. Making Retirement Dreams Come True
47. Rewriting the Rules of Long-Term Care
46. You're Ready To Retire. Now What?
45. The Dow Jones is NOT Your Retirement
44. What is a Retirement Plan?
43. Don't Be Scared of Your Retirement
Special Day After Election Episode
Special Edition: Trump vs Biden
42. Politics & Retirement
41. Medicare: Mysteries & Misconceptions
40. Year End Tax Planning
39. Sudden Wealth Syndrome
38. Is $3 Million the new $1 Million?
37. Retiring Today vs. Retiring in 1950
36. Superhero Series: Life Insurance
35. Social Security: Myths vs. Reality
34. Required Minimum Distribution Age Change with the SECURE Act
33. Superhero Series: Non-Qualified Account
32. Rethinking the Rules of Retirement
31. Retirement Income: The Foundation of Your Retirement
30. Roth Conversions
29. Superhero Series: The Power of the HSA
28. Employer Plans & Your Retirement
27. Retirement Planner vs. Accumulation Adviser
26. When To Buy? When To Sell?
25. Superhero Series: The Power of the Roth
24. The Continuous Anxiety of the Market
23. Risks in Retirement
22. Coronavirus Stimulus Relief Bill: A Scammers Paradise
21. The Stock Market Meltdown of 2020
20. Welcome to the Bear Market
19. Coronavirus & Your 401(k)
18. Accumulation Investing vs. Retirement Investing
17. The Basics of Social Security
16. Pre-Retirees Most Asked Questions
15. The Retirement Timeline
14. Women in Retirement
13. Retiring in 2020
12. How the SECURE Act is changing retirement
11. Following Your Passions in Retirement
10. Medicare Changes in 2020
9. The Importance of a Financial Designation
8. What really is Cryptocurrency?
7. The In's & Out's of a Health Savings Account
6. Do you need $1 Million to Retire?
5. Year-End Tax Planning Strategies
4. A Recession Resistant Retirement
3. Fighting Scammers with Julie Wagner
2. The Effect of Interest Rates on Your Retirement
1. The Hidden Truths About Mutual Funds
Introducing Retiring Today