Organizations merging or being acquired is commonplace in nearly every field. In the world of finance, the recent acquisition of TD Ameritrade by Charles Schwab has some investors concerned. Today, John Walker, Regional Vice President, Mercer Advisors, answers many questions and explains the impact of the two companies becoming one.

Listening Time: 15 minutes

Mercer Advisors is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice to clients. All estate planning document preparation and other legal advice are provided through Advanced Services Law Group, Inc.

If you’re an investor who also enjoys the game of golf, the similarities between the two may surprise you. Today, John Walker, Regional Vice President, Mercer Advisors, details some of the many parallels that can be drawn between the two including the importance of careful planning, keeping your emotions in check and more.

Listening Time: 18 minutes

Mercer Advisors is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice to clients. All estate planning document preparation and other legal advice are provided through Advanced Services Law Group, Inc.

Roth IRAs offer numerous benefits that make them a preferred choice for many investors. Today, John Walker, Regional Vice President, Mercer Advisors, discusses five mistakes often made while using Roth IRAs and the impact Roth-related errors may have on your retirement savings.

Listening Time: 15 minutes

Mercer Advisors is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice to clients. All estate planning document preparation and other legal advice are provided through Advanced Services Law Group, Inc.

Being prepared to deal with the many financial and emotional challenges of a family member’s critical illness is a subject most people would prefer not to even think about. Planning however, must be done. Today, John Walker, Regional Vice President, Mercer Advisors, is joined by Kara Duckworth, CFP®, CDFA®, and Managing Director of Client Experience at Mercer Advisors. Kara shares her personal experiences navigating the healthcare system alone when her husband was diagnosed with cancer. Kara’s story may help you better plan and cope.

Listening Time: 22 minutes

Mercer Advisors is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice to clients. All estate planning document preparation and other legal advice are provided through Advanced Services Law Group, Inc.

There’s a smart strategy for investing in each stage of life. Some investors consider reducing investment risk as they age. The ability to withstand risk may diminish, but you may need to maintain a certain level of risk so you don’t run out of money in retirement.  John Walker, Regional Vice President, Mercer Advisors, discusses ways to assess appropriate levels investment risk later in life.

Listening Time: 19 minutes

Mercer Advisors is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice to clients. All estate planning document preparation and other legal advice are provided through Advanced Services Law Group, Inc.

As you approach middle age, your 40’s or 50’s, it’s likely to be one of the busiest times of your life. You may be at the pinnacle of your career, getting kids off to college, caring for an aging parent, or you are involved in a variety of other concerns and activities that keep you moving at warp speed. Today, John Walker, Regional Vice President, Mercer Advisors, discusses the importance of being attentive to your retirement and financial planning needs at a time of life where everything else seems to take precedence.  Mid-life investing may offer future financial security opportunities you should not miss.

Listening Time: 18 minutes

Mercer Advisors is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice to clients. All estate planning document preparation and other legal advice are provided through Advanced Services Law Group, Inc.

If you interact separately with professionals such as your financial planner, CPA, and attorney, and each is working independently on your behalf, you may not be getting the full benefits of their integrated expertise. Now, imagine the impact of these professionals working together on your overall financial health, and that of your family.

Today, John Walker, Regional Vice President, Mercer Advisors, discusses financial, and other benefits, available through a family office service which had previously been available only to ultra high-net-worth families.

Listening Time: 19

Mercer Advisors is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice to clients. All estate planning document preparation and other legal advice are provided through Advanced Services Law Group, Inc.

Estate planning is a critical part of your overall retirement plan. Your retirement accounts, such as IRAs and 401ks typically pass directly to a beneficiary you’ve selected, and not through a trust you may have created for your other assets. With these accounts, a separate retirement plan trust may be required to get the asset protection and guidance you are seeking.

Logan, Baker, J.D., LL.M., MBA, Lead Senior Wealth Strategist on the Estate Planning Team at Mercer Advisors joins host John Walker, Regional Vice President, Mercer Advisors, to discuss the importance of implementing a retirement plan trust specifically for the protection of your retirement account beneficiaries.

Listening Time: 31 minutes

Mercer Advisors is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice to clients. All estate planning document preparation and other legal advice are provided through Advanced Services Law Group, Inc.

Anchoring bias can place a disproportionate amount of merit on something you hear or read. It can shape how you make future judgements, and it can have a negative effect on everything from the purchases you make to the success of your financial planning. Today, John Walker, Regional Vice President, Mercer Advisors, further explains anchoring bias in greater detail and how to avoid it.

Listening Time: 20 minutes

Mercer Advisors is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice to clients. All estate planning document preparation and other legal advice are provided through Advanced Services Law Group, Inc.

Would you like to maintain your pre-retirement spending levels and standard of living after you’ve retired? Some, however, intend to spend more heavily in their early retirement years, believing they will spend less as they age. These spending considerations are an important part of your retirement planning, and there is often a disparity between spending intentions and spending reality. Today, John Walker, Regional Vice President, Mercer Advisors, discusses retirement spending patterns and how they relate to good planning.  He also discusses a recent Boston College Center for Retirement Research study that looks at how retirees intend to spend vs. how they actually spend what they’ve saved.

Listening Time: 20 minutes

Mercer Advisors is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice to clients. All estate planning document preparation and other legal advice are provided through Advanced Services Law Group, Inc.

The biggest transition of wealth in history may be upon us.  Over the next couple of decades, most aging Baby Boomers and Gen Xers are expected to pass along about $73 trillion of their wealth to their heirs. This transfer of wealth can be made after you die or while you’re alive to see and experience your loved ones enjoying what you’ve shared. Today, John Walker, Senior Vice President, Mercer Advisors, and Tim Joseph CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional and CPA at Mercer Advisors, discuss several options you may have to make those gifts safely, and in a tax-efficient manner.

Listening Time: 27 minutes

Mercer Advisors is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice to clients. All estate planning document preparation and other legal advice are provided through Advanced Services Law Group, Inc.

It’s difficult to overlook the long-standing investment success of the so-called Oracle of Omaha. Today, John Walker, Regional Vice President, Mercer Advisors, discusses some of the investment principles followed by Warren Buffett.

Listening Time: 18 minutes

Mercer Advisors is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice to clients. All estate planning document preparation and other legal advice are provided through Advanced Services Law Group, Inc.

In addition to financial planning for your retirement, it’s wise to also consider what living your everyday life will be like after the structure of working each day gives way to nearly total freedom. Today, John Walker, Regional Vice President, Mercer Advisors, welcomes Fritz Gilbert, author of “Keys to A Successful Retirement: Staying Happy, Active and Productive in Your Retired Years” and writer/publisher of The Retirement Manifesto Blog. Fritz shares practical and useful advice from first-hand experience.

Listening Time: 28 minutes

Mercer Advisors is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice to clients. All estate planning document preparation and other legal advice are provided through Advanced Services Law Group, Inc.

People who are saving for retirement sometimes fail to consider how living longer will affect how much they’ll need once they stop working. Today, John Walker, Regional Vice President, Mercer Advisors, discusses retirement planning strategies to avoid longevity risk.

Listening Time: 23 minutes

Mercer Advisors is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice to clients. All estate planning document preparation and other legal advice are provided through Advanced Services Law Group, Inc.

Retirees sometimes second-guess, or even get a bit uneasy, about spending their hard-earned savings when the regular weekly paycheck from their employer has stopped. Today, John Walker, Regional Vice President, Mercer Advisors, discusses strategies to help you more comfortably spend and enjoy the retirement dollars you’ve accumulated. There is likely no need to deprive yourself of things that make you happy and you may easily afford.

Listening Time: 19 minutes

Mercer Advisors is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice to clients. All estate planning document preparation and other legal advice are provided through Advanced Services Law Group, Inc.

Recent market volatility and the changing economic landscape are among the most common reasons investors give for not taking full advantage of their retirement savings opportunities. If you’re nearing retirement and want to maximize your 401(k) benefits, there are several mistakes you should avoid. Today, John Walker, Regional Vice President, Mercer Advisors, is joined by Mercer Advisors colleague Dennis Jablonoski, Chartered Retirement Plan Specialist^SM. They discuss ways to help you along the path to a more secure retirement.

Listening Time: 29 minutes

Mercer Advisors is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice to clients. All estate planning document preparation and other legal advice are provided through Advanced Services Law Group, Inc.

In order to reduce their tax burden, some retirees move to states that don’t assess personal income taxes. Depending on your lifestyle however, there may not be any real tax savings since revenues in these “lower-tax” states are often made up in other ways. Today, John Walker, Senior Vice President, Mercer Advisors, and Tim Joseph CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional and CPA at Mercer Advisors, help sort fact from fiction for those planning to move out of state to reduce their overall tax liability.

Listening Time: 19 minutes

Mercer Advisors is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice to clients. All estate planning document preparation and other legal advice are provided through Advanced Services Law Group, Inc.

Strategic planning for the money we earn, save and invest is essential in helping to create a successful retirement, but there’s more to consider. Today, John Walker, regional Vice President, Mercer Advisors, discusses 7 habits that can improve your satisfaction and help make your retired years happier.

Listening Time: 19 minutes

Mercer Advisors is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice to clients. All estate planning document preparation and other legal advice are provided through Advanced Services Law Group, Inc.

Listening Time: 40 minutes

Mercer Advisors is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice to clients. All estate planning document preparation and other legal advice are provided through Advanced Services Law Group, Inc.

It’s common to look at others from afar and judge just how well you think they’re doing financially. Comparing your own personal financial status with the apparent prosperity of others can be a detriment to both your emotional and financial wellbeing. Driving an expensive vehicle, living in a massive house, or wearing high-priced fashions or jewelry may be more indicative of someone’s debt, and not necessarily their wealth. Today, John Walker, Regional Vice President, Mercer Advisors, discusses why it’s important to focus on reaching your own financial goals without needless comparisons to others.

Listening Time: 17 minutes

Mercer Advisors is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice to clients. All estate planning document preparation and other legal advice are provided through Advanced Services Law Group, Inc.

There are countless important questions you should answer when planning for your retirement. Questions about cashflow, taxes, asset allocation, Social Security, and Medicare to name just a few. Today, John Walker, Regional Vice President, Mercer Advisors, is joined by Mercer Advisors’ Financial Planner Ryan Flurer. They preview some of the issues you may face and discuss strategies you may want to consider.

Listening Time: 19 minutes

Mercer Advisors is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice to clients. All estate planning document preparation and other legal advice are provided through Advanced Services Law Group, Inc.

In creating a thorough financial plan, consideration is given to many areas of your financial life. Understanding your current economic condition along with your priorities, helps create a clear and measurable path with a higher probability of success. Today, two Mercer Advisors’ Regional Vice Presidents, John Walker and Kevin Dillon, define and discuss the benefits of unified financial planning.

Listening Time: 20 minutes

Mercer Advisors is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice to clients. All estate planning document preparation and other legal advice are provided through Advanced Services Law Group, Inc.