All Blog Posts

Will $1 Million Last? Stress Testing Retirement Spending 

January 25th, 2026

This blog explores how long $1 million might last in retirement under different spending scenarios, and why assumptions around lifestyle, inflation, taxes, and market volatility matter more than the headline number. A […]

What Washington Changes Could Mean for Your Retirement 

January 18th, 2026

Retirement laws continue to evolve as Washington rewrites the tax code and adjusts long-standing rules. Retirement Planners Clint Huntrods and Loren Merkle explain how recent legislation affects tax brackets, Required Minimum Distributions, inherited IRAs, […]

The Retirement Readiness Checklist: Where to Start and What to Tackle Next 

January 11th, 2026

Retirement Planner Loren Merkle, and Director of Medicare & Long-Term Care AnnaMarie Morrow walk through the Retirement Readiness Checklist, breaking retirement planning into nine practical areas to help you discover where to […]

The Seven Social Security Rules Every Retiree Should Know

December 21st, 2025

Social Security will likely be a major part of your retirement paycheck, but the rules behind your benefit, taxes, and timing can be more complicated than they look on the surface. Retirement Planners Loren Merkle and Chawn […]

Launching Our First Magazine: Meet Adventurous Angie 

November 30th, 2025

A brand-new Merkle Retirement Planning magazine is here, and its first issue puts a spotlight on Adventurous Angie—an energetic retiree proving that retirement isn’t the end of the story; it’s […]

Fact or Fiction: Medicare, Costs, and Choices — What Really Matters Before 65 (and After) 

November 23rd, 2025

When it comes to Medicare, misinformation travels fast. Maybe a friend insists it’s free. A coworker swears long-term care is covered. Someone else warns you about penalties for signing up […]

Inside the Cave of Questions: Getting Started at 55+ 

November 16th, 2025

This Indiana Jones–inspired episode of Retiring Today with Loren Merkle turns a common worry—how to start planning for retirement at 55—into a guided trek through six milestones: lifestyle, income, taxes, investments, health care, and legacy.  We […]

How to Know If You’re Retirement-Ready at Age 55

November 2nd, 2025

Our journey takes place inside the Cave of Questions because retirement often begins with more questions than answers and figuring out where to start can feel like navigating a dark cave. While inside, we discover that a map is a great place to […]

Retirement Sneaks Up: Steps to Take When You Need to Decide Fast

October 12th, 2025

Retirement doesn’t always follow a perfect timeline. A buyout, layoff, health change—or even just the calendar—can speed up big decisions. Retirement Planners Loren Merkle and Haley Gutschenritter explain how to […]

You’ve Inherited Money, Now What? 

September 28th, 2025

Inheriting money can be both emotional and overwhelming. In this blog, Retirement Planners Loren Merkle and Clint Huntrods explain how different types of assets—cash, investments, retirement accounts, real estate, life […]

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