Merkle Retirement Planning
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersGrimes, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
Merkle Retirement Planning firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Merkle Retirement Planning
- Legal name
- Merkle Retirement Planning, LLC
- Website
- https://merkleretirementplanning.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Merkle Retirement Planning industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Retirement Planning Services
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282), Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Retirement Income Planning & Decumulation Advisory (FSAEABAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Retirement & Pension Planning (401(k)/IRA) (FSAEAAAD), Retirement Benefits & Social Security/Medicare Planning (FSAEABAI), Annuity & Insurance-Based Retirement Solutions Advisory (FSAEABAH)
Keywords
Where Merkle Retirement Planning is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Grimes
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Merkle Retirement Planning business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Investment Advisory Services: Fee-based investment advisory services offered through Elite Retirement Planning, LLC (SEC-registered RIA). Services include portfolio analysis, investment strategy, and ongoing retirement planning advice.
- Insurance Products: Insurance products including annuities, life insurance, and Medicare-related coverage offered through MRP Insurance, LLC. Commissions earned on insurance product sales.
- Medicare Services: Medicare Advantage Plans, Medicare Supplement Plans, and Prescription Drug Plans offered through MRP Insurance, LLC. The company represents 5 organizations offering 22 products.
- Tax Planning Services: Tax planning services offered through Merkle Tax Solutions, LLC, including Roth conversion strategies and long-term tax planning.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Annual | Fee-based advisory services with transparent fee structure |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Merkle Retirement Planning product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Merkle Retirement Planning provides personalized retirement planning services to pre-retirees and retirees through its proprietary RetireSecure Roadmap framework, a written six-pillar plan covering lifestyle, income, taxes, investments, health care, and legacy. The firm delivers fee-based investment advisory services through affiliated SEC-registered Elite Retirement Planning LLC, insurance products (annuities, life insurance, Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement, and Part D plans) through MRP Insurance LLC, and tax planning services through Merkle Tax Solutions LLC.
Product overview
Merkle Retirement Planning is an independent financial advisory firm offering a unified retirement planning methodology centered on the RetireSecure Roadmap. The core offering is a written, six-pillar retirement plan (lifestyle, income, taxes, investments, health care, and legacy) developed through a three-step process: Connect, Strategize, and Plan. This core planning methodology is supported by a suite of educational and engagement products including the Journey to Retirement online workshop, in-person dinner workshops, Retiring Today Magazine (a digital milestone guide), the Retiring Today TV show on local Des Moines stations, Visual Insights Newsletter, and community lifestyle events (Lifestyle Events, Lifestyle Groups, Lunch & Learns). The firm also offers a RetireReady Call for initial consultations. All services are delivered through licensed CFP and RICP professionals and are coordinated with affiliated entities (Elite Retirement Planning for advisory services, MRP Insurance for insurance products, and Merkle Tax Solutions for tax planning).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- RetireSecure Roadmap: The company's proprietary retirement planning framework covering six pillars: lifestyle, income, taxes, investments, health care, and legacy.
- Retiring Today with Loren Merkle
- Retiring Today Magazine
Products and services
- RetireSecure Roadmap A written, customized retirement planning methodology organized around six pillars (lifestyle, income, taxes, investments, health care, and legacy), designed as a personalized blueprint to guide individuals to and through retirement.
- Investment Advisory Services Fee-based investment advisory services including portfolio analysis, investment strategy, and ongoing retirement planning advice, delivered through affiliated SEC-registered Elite Retirement Planning, LLC.
- Insurance Products Insurance products including annuities and life insurance offered through affiliated MRP Insurance, LLC, with commissions earned on product sales.
- Medicare Services Medicare Advantage Plans, Medicare Supplement Plans, and Prescription Drug Plans offered through MRP Insurance, LLC, representing 5 organizations and 22 Medicare/health insurance products for Medicare-eligible individuals.
- Tax Planning Services Tax planning services including Roth conversion strategies and long-term tax planning, delivered through affiliated Merkle Tax Solutions, LLC.
- Retiring Today Magazine A digital magazine providing retirement milestone guidance for ages 50 through 70+, featuring action steps and the Adventurous Angie retirement journey narrative.
Quantifiable outcome
- Client was able to retire at age 64 instead of 65, one year earlier than expected
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Merkle Retirement Planning
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Merkle Retirement Planning technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Merkle Retirement Planning partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Elite Retirement Planning, LLCcoreSEC-registered investment adviser (RIA) through which Investment Advisory Services are offered. This is an affiliated entity rather than an external partner, providing the regulatory framework for fee-based advisory services.
- MRP Insurance, LLCcoreInsurance services entity through which Insurance Services and Medicare products are offered. Represents 5 organizations offering 22 Medicare/health insurance products. Affiliated entity, not external partner.
- Merkle Tax Solutions, LLCcoreTax planning services entity affiliated with Merkle Retirement Planning. Provides Roth conversion strategies and long-term tax planning as part of the RetireSecure Roadmap.
- AE Wealth ManagementminorThird-party disclosures and compliance resources linked from the disclosures page. Serves as a compliance and regulatory resource.
- Brick Gentry P.C.minorLaw firm specializing in estate planning. Attorney Charlie Bottenberg appears as guest expert on TV show and blog content discussing estate planning topics including SECURE Act implications, probate, and trust strategies. Professional collaboration for educational content.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Merkle Retirement Planning competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Wealth Enhancement Group: National RIA platform serving mass-affluent and HNW clients with retirement, tax, and wealth planning. Comparable to Merkle Retirement Planning in holistic retirement planning focus and bundling of advisory with adjacent services, though at materially larger scale.
- Carson Group: RIA and business coaching platform supporting independent financial advisors with retirement, tax, and wealth planning services. Comparable to Merkle Retirement Planning in advisor-centric retirement focus and integrated tax/insurance offerings, but operating as a national support platform for affiliated advisors.
- Cetera Financial Group: Broker-dealer and RIA support platform enabling independent financial advisors to deliver retirement, investment, and insurance solutions. Comparable to Merkle Retirement Planning in supporting independent advisors who combine advisory with insurance distribution, though as an infrastructure provider rather than a direct advisory firm.
- Fisher Investments: Large asset manager and RIA serving high-net-worth and mass-affluent retirees with portfolio management and retirement income strategies. Comparable to Merkle Retirement Planning in target audience (mass-affluent retirees) and integrated retirement income/tax focus, though at significantly larger scale.
- Edelman Financial Engines: Largest independent RIA in the U.S., serving mass-affluent clients with comprehensive retirement and investment planning. Comparable to Merkle Retirement Planning as both target pre-retirees and retirees with holistic planning, though Edelman operates nationally at far greater scale.
- Mariner Wealth Advisors: National RIA offering retirement, tax, estate, and insurance planning for individuals and families. Comparable to Merkle Retirement Planning in the breadth of services offered across retirement pillars and the bundling of advisory with insurance/tax solutions.
- Creative Planning: National RIA offering comprehensive wealth, retirement, and tax planning to high-net-worth and mass-affluent households. Directly comparable to Merkle Retirement Planning in its six-pillar-style holistic planning approach for the same retiree demographic, though at much larger AUM scale.
Emerging players
- IRA Financial Group: Specialist in self-directed retirement accounts (Solo 401(k), Checkbook IRA). Comparable to Merkle Retirement Planning in the retirement niche focus, but with a much narrower product (self-directed accounts) and a self-serve/online delivery model versus Merkle's high-touch local advisory approach.
Direct peers
- Buckingham Strategic Wealth: National RIA specializing in evidence-based retirement, tax, and estate planning for mass-affluent clients. Directly comparable to Merkle Retirement Planning in fiduciary, fee-based comprehensive retirement planning across income, tax, and legacy pillars.
- Sensible Money: Retirement-focused fee-only RIA providing holistic retirement income, Social Security, and tax planning. Most closely comparable to Merkle Retirement Planning in its narrow focus on pre-retirees/retirees and dedicated retirement income decumulation approach.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Merkle Retirement Planning social profiles
Digital presenceMerkle Retirement Planning financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Merkle Retirement Planning leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles13 records
Merkle Retirement Planning subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Merkle Retirement Planning funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Merkle Retirement Planning M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Merkle Retirement Planning
What does Merkle Retirement Planning do?
Merkle Retirement Planning provides personalized retirement planning services to pre-retirees and retirees through its proprietary RetireSecure Roadmap framework, a written six-pillar plan covering lifestyle, income, taxes, investments, health care, and legacy. The firm delivers fee-based investment advisory services through affiliated SEC-registered Elite Retirement Planning LLC, insurance products (annuities, life insurance, Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement, and Part D plans) through MRP Insurance LLC, and tax planning services through Merkle Tax Solutions LLC.
Is Merkle Retirement Planning a public or private company?
Merkle Retirement Planning is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Merkle Retirement Planning founded?
Merkle Retirement Planning was founded in -1. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Merkle Retirement Planning based?
Merkle Retirement Planning is headquartered in Grimes, United States, in the North America region.
How does Merkle Retirement Planning make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Investment Advisory Services are the primary driver. The others are insurance Products, medicare Services and tax Planning Services.
Who are Merkle Retirement Planning's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Wealth Enhancement Group, Carson Group, Cetera Financial Group, Fisher Investments, Edelman Financial Engines, Mariner Wealth Advisors and Creative Planning. IRA Financial Group is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Buckingham Strategic Wealth and Sensible Money.
Does Merkle Retirement Planning have an API?
No public API is recorded for Merkle Retirement Planning.
What industry is Merkle Retirement Planning in?
Merkle Retirement Planning's product category is Retirement Planning Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAEABAD, Retirement Income Planning & Decumulation Advisory, with a secondary code of FSAEAAAD, Retirement & Pension Planning (401(k)/IRA). Its SIC code is 6282.