Spend your money confidently, regardless of the economy
People planning for retirement are slowly realizing that they may end up with an income shortfall. This is where the amount of income you desire outpaces the amount of money you have saved.
And why is that? It's because we've been conditioned by Wall Street and the big banking companies to focus on growing our assets as much as possible and strive to obtain the highest rate of return.
Unfortunately, this advice never takes into account how these assets will be turned into income and has also left many of us exposed to the four key retirement risks: (1) longevity, (2) stock market, (3) income taxes, and (4) inflation.
We believe the only way to ensure a successful retirement is through an income plan that protects your money from the four key risks.
MERIT MONEY MAP
Step 1: Identify
If you don't know where you are, you won't know where you're headed. During this Base Camp step, we figure out where you stand on the wealth-building journey and what goals you hold for the future. With this information, we can create the most efficient path to the summit.
Step 2: Secure
On the mountain, your life depends on your ability to successfully utilize your rope.
Similar to Tying In, during retirement, your financial peace depends on your ability to secure guaranteed monthly income.
In this step, we create a plan that assures you have a steady stream of income throughout your lifetime.
Step 3: Protect
Climbing is a dangerous sport. It would be risky to ascend a mountain without giving your equipment a proper Safety Check. There are also risks to wealth-building and retirement planning that require review. The greatest risk lies in the tax burden that can hit your savings. In this step, we ensure that your tax risk is minimized.
Step 4: Invest
Once you know where you're going, you've secured a guaranteed stream of secure income, and you have a plan to mitigate your tax risk, it's time to Climb.
In this stage, we use your surplus assets to grow your wealth and reach that summit!
Step 5: Manage
At this point, you're climbing the mountain successfully. Now, it's our job to make sure you're staying secure for the full extent of your retirement. With Merit, you can Trust Your Guide who knows the mountain. As your guide, your advisor will meet with you on an annual basis to make sure that everything is still secure and you're meeting your goals.
