Let's Talk Cincy: Navigating college financial aid, preparing for retirement, and remembering beloved basketball coach

CINCY, THE THINKING BEHIND IT WAS WAS GREAT. IT'S JUST BEEN THE ROLLOUT HAS BEEN TRICKY. UH, WITH IT, THERE'S BEEN DELAYS AND STOP STARTS AND ERRORS LIKE, UH, THERE'S A 20 TO 50% ERROR RATE. PLUS, SOCIAL SECURITY IS 21% OF THE NATIONAL BUDGET. ABOUT $1.4 TRILLION. IF SOCIAL SECURITY WENT AWAY COLD TURKEY, WE WOULD BE SPIRALING ECONOMICALLY INTO A DEEP RECESSION. AND MARK WAS A PERSON THAT REALLY JUST GAVE BACK. HE GAVE EVERYTHING HE HAD. IT DIDN'T MATTER. HE HE WAS HONEST, TRUTHFUL, AND HE REALLY WAS ALL ABOUT HIS FAMILY, HIS WIFE, HIS PLAYERS, HIS I MEAN, HE WAS REALLY DEDICATED TO BASKETBALL. ALL MY KIDS THAT WHEN THEY CALLED, THEY ALWAYS GET OFF THE PHONE AND SAY, I LOVE YOU, MARK. I ALWAYS SAY, I LOVE YOU, MAN, I LOVE YOU. THAT'S ONE OF HIS THINGS. I LOVE YOU. HELLO EVERYONE. I'M CURTIS FULLER AND WELCOME TO LET'S TALK CINCY. LET'S BEGIN BY TALKING ABOUT AN ISSUE IMPACTING THOUSANDS OF FAMILIES. THE LAUNCH OF THE NEW FREE APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL AID FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS. IT HAS BEEN PLAGUED BY TECHNICAL PROBLEMS AND DELAYS, LEAVING FAMILIES IN LIMBO. UNIVERSITIES AND SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS HAVE ALSO BEEN FORCED TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS. MORE NOW FROM ASHLEY KIRKLEN. WHAT CAN BE ONE OF THE MOST NERVE WRACKING TIMES IN A YOUNG PERSON'S LIFE HAS BEEN MADE EVEN MORE STRESSFUL THIS YEAR FOR MILLIONS OF INCOMING COLLEGE FRESHMEN, THANKS TO THE CHANGES WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION'S FAFSA FORM. SO THE FAFSA FORM WAS SIMPLIFIED SIGNIFICANTLY, BUT BECAUSE OF THAT, THE DATA STRUCTURE CHANGED, AND ALL OF THE FORMULAS THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT USES TO AWARD AID CHANGED THE COMPLETE OVERHAUL IS ONE THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION HASN'T SEEN IN 30 PLUS YEARS, SENDING THE ENTIRE SYSTEM INTO CHAOS. APPLICATIONS FOR FREE FINANCIAL AID THAT WOULD HAVE NORMALLY GONE OUT TO FAMILIES OCTOBER 1ST OF LAST YEAR WEREN'T AVAILABLE UNTIL EARLY JANUARY OF THIS YEAR. WHAT THIS DOES IS TELL STUDENTS WHAT TYPE OF FEDERAL STUDENT LOANS THEY HAVE. ARE THEY PELL ELIGIBLE? ARE THERE STATE AND FEDERAL GRANTS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO THEM? ARE THEY ELIGIBLE FOR WORK STUDY? SO IT'S ALL OF THOSE PIECES AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, THAT ENDS UP BEING THE MOST SIGNIFICANT PIECE OF SCHOLARSHIP AND GRANT INFORMATION FOR ANY STUDENT, NOT JUST AT UC, BUT REALLY ACROSS THE COUNTRY. NOW, UNIVERSITIES LIKE UCC ARE HAVING TO PIVOT TO ACCOMMODATE INCOMING BEARCATS WHO DON'T KNOW YET WHAT FINANCIAL BACKING FROM THE GOVERNMENT THEY CAN EXPECT TO PAY FOR THEIR EDUCATION. WE DELAYED OUR CONFIRMATION DEADLINE TO JUNE 1ST. WE ALSO, UM, EXTENDED OUR DEADLINE FOR STUDENTS THAT ARE APPLYING FOR HOUSING. SO TRADITIONALLY STUDENTS WOULD HAVE HAD TO APPLY FOR HOUSING BY MAY 3RD. NOW STUDENTS HAVE UNTIL JUNE 4TH TO APPLY FOR HOUSING WITH ME NOW IS WHITNEY O'NEIL. SHE IS THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE CINCINNATI SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION. AND FIRST OF ALL, WELCOME TO THE PROGRAM. THANK YOU. LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT. AND THAT'S THE FAFSA. UH, WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THIS OUT OF WASHINGTON? UM, INTERESTING. SO THE IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE SIMPLER, FOR WHICH IT IS. IT ONLY TAKES LIKE TEN MINUTES TO FILL OUT AN AND IT ALSO WAS SUPPOSED TO LET MORE STUDENTS BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE PELL GRANT, WHICH IS LIKE $7,395. SO THE THINKING BEHIND IT WAS WAS GREAT. IT'S JUST BEEN THE ROLLOUT HAS BEEN TRICKY. UH, WITH IT, THERE'S BEEN DELAYS AND STOP STARTS AND ERRORS LIKE, UH, THERE'S A 20 TO 50% ERROR RATE. UH, LIKE PROBABLY WHEN YOUR DAUGHTER STARTED COLLEGE, YOU HAD TO SUPPLY ALL YOUR IRS INFORMATION. WELL, THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE PULLING IT FROM THE IRS. WELL, SOME STUFF'S GOING IN THE WRONG FIELDS. AND SO SOME TECHNICAL GLITCHES. UM, I HAVE SOME GREAT RESOURCES AT UC AND XAVIER AND AND NKU AND, AND THEY'RE REPORTING NOW THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION IS FIXING THESE BIG ERRORS, AND THEY'RE HOPING THEY'RE GOING TO BE DONE FIXING THEM BY THE END OF APRIL. UM, FINGERS CROSSED. SO, UH, WHICH MEANS THE FINANCIAL AID DEPARTMENTS ARE STILL GOING TO HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, DO SOME SMALLER FIXES. UM, THEY'VE ALL EXTENDED THEIR DEADLINES AND AND AS FAR AS THEIR COMMITMENT DAY IS NOT MAY 1ST. SO IT'S BEEN A IT'S BEEN A ROLLER COASTER AND A LOT LIKE DAILY UPDATES AND SO FORTH. AND IT IS CAUSING A LOT OF ANXIETY WITH THE FAMILIES. I CAN IMAGINE. SO THERE'S ONE REPORT, UH, THIS WAS A SURVEY. 67% OF COLLEGE OFFICIALS DON'T THINK THEIR SCHOOL CAN PROCESS FINANCIAL AID. UM, IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS OR SO. AND THAT'S THAT'S TROUBLING FOR PARENTS. IT IS. YEAH, IT IS. ANY ANY RECOMMENDATION THAT YOU CAN GIVE THEM. I MEAN, THERE'S NO QUICK FIX TO THIS. AND NO EASY SOLUTION. PATIENCE WOULD BE ONE THING THAT I GUESS YOU WOULD TELL THEM, WELL, WHAT THE SCHOOLS ARE TELLING US IS BE PATIENT. UH, THE SCHOOLS ARE EXTENDING THEIR DEADLINES AND AND THE OTHER THING THAT THEY'RE TELLING PEOPLE IS ESPECIALLY THE STUDENTS, IS FOLKS, THIS FINISH YOUR SEMESTER OR YOUR SCHOOL YEAR STRONG. YOU KNOW, ANOTHER THING THAT'S KIND OF TROUBLING, CURTIS, IS THAT INSTEAD OF, UH, MORE PEOPLE APPLYING FOR THE FAFSA, THERE'S ACTUALLY A 38% DECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF FAMILIES COMPARED TO THE PREVIOUS YEARS. WHO ARE APPLYING. SO THE SCHOOLS ARE SAYING DON'T DO THAT. I MEAN, YEAH, IT'S KIND OF A NIGHTMARE RIGHT NOW, BUT STILL APPLY BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH THERE'S DELAYS, THEY'RE GETTING FIXED, THE ERRORS ARE BEING FIXED. SO DON'T NOT APPLY BECAUSE THERE ARE GOING TO BE A LOT MORE PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE PELL GRANT. IT'S GOING TO BE FIXED. IT'S JUST GOING TO BE DELAYED. AND WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS CINCINNATI SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION IS WE DON'T WANT TO ADD TO THAT STRESS. SO WE ARE GOING TO EXTEND OUR DEADLINE. AND THEN THERE ARE SOME DOCUMENTS THAT WE'RE PROBABLY NOT GOING TO ASK FOR THAT WE'VE HISTORICALLY ASKED FOR TO BE ABLE TO CALCULATE OUT THE NEED. WE'RE STILL GOING TO HAVE THE NEED. BUT, UM, FOR WHAT THE SCHOOLS ARE TELLING ME, WE REALLY FEEL LIKE THAT. BY JUNE, THAT EVERYONE SHOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT STUDENT AID INDEX, WHICH REPLACED THE FAMILY ESTIMATED INCOME NUMBER THAT SO MANY PEOPLE NEED. BUT IT IS A DELAY. AND LIKE I SAID, THE COLLEGE COMMITMENT DAY OF MAY 1ST PRETTY MUCH ACROSS THE BOARD. ALL THE SCHOOLS HAVE CHANGED THAT TO JUNE FIRST. LET'S TALK ABOUT CINCINNATI SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION. UH, JUST AN AMAZING ORGANIZATION. I SHOULD, UH, AND ALSO TRANSPARENCY. I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN SOME FORM OR ANOTHER FOR OVER 30 YEARS. SO. SO, UM, IT IS A GREAT ORGANIZATION. ALLEN GIVE THE GIVE THE HISTORY FOR THOSE WHO MIGHT NOT KNOW. UM, UM, AND LET'S TALK ABOUT THE NEED OF THE FOUNDATION. OH, BOY. HUGE NEED. FIRST OF ALL, IT'S 106 YEARS OLD, WHICH IS AMAZING. UM, AND IT WAS STARTED, UH, BACK IN WORLD WAR ONE WHEN, UM, STUDENTS WERE DROPPING OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL TO WORK TO SUPPORT THEIR FAMILIES WHEN THEIR DADS WERE FIGHTING OVERSEAS AS, UH, AS A STIPEND PROGRAM. UM, AND IT'S JUST EVOLVED AND NOW IT IS FOR, UH, STUDENTS WHO ARE IN THE GREATER CINCINNATI AREA WHO HAVE FINANCIAL NEED AND WANT TO GET A WORKFORCE CERTIFICATION AND ASSOCIATE'S, BACHELOR'S. AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE SOME POST GRAD DEGREES BECAUSE WE'RE SEEING A DIP WITH DOCTORS AND AND PSYCHOLOGY ARTISTS AND PHARMACISTS. WE NEED THOSE. CURTIS, UH, YOU KNOW, UM, AND SO IT'S ALL SET UP BY INDIVIDUAL DONORS, SMALL BUSINESSES. EVERYONE HAS THEIR DIFFERENT SCHOLARSHIPS. WE HAVE 145 PLUS SCHOLARSHIPS, UH, THAT WE GAVE OUT LAST YEAR. WE GAVE OUT 100, UH, 40, UH, SORRY, 147 SCHOLARSHIPS TO ABOUT 1000 STUDENTS. UH. TOTALING $1.7 MILLION. UM, AND YOU COULD HAVE PROBABLY DOUBLED THAT IF YOU HAD THE RESOURCES WE HAD, IF WE HAD THE RESOURCES. AND IT'S SO EASY TO SET UP A SCHOLARSHIP WITH US, IT'S WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT DO AN ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIP AND THEY CAN SET UP THE, THE CRITERIA. HOWEVER WE WANT. WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT, YOU KNOW, DO A LOT OF STUFF IN IN MEMORY OF LOVED ONES. IF THEIR GRANDMA WAS A NURSE AND THEY'LL SET IT UP FOR FOR STUDENTS WHO HAVE WHO ARE GOING TO NURSING SCHOOL. WE HAVE ODELL OWENS SCHOLARSHIP. AND THAT'S SPECIFICALLY FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN AND HISPANIC STUDENTS WHO ARE AT CPS NEWPORT INDEPENDENT AND COVINGTON INDEPENDENT SO THAT PEOPLE CAN SET IT UP. HOWEVER THEY WANT. AND THIS AND YOU MENTIONED NEWPORT AND COVINGTON. SO THIS IS FOR ANY STUDENT IN GREATER CINCINNATI. I THINK WHEN THEY HEAR CINCINNATI SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION, THEY MIGHT THINK JUST CPS STUDENTS, BUT THIS IS, UH, ANY STUDENT IN GREATER CINCINNATI. SO BUTLER WARREN CLERMONT, UH, THEN WE'VE GOT OBVIOUSLY HAMILTON KENTON CAMPBELL BOONE, AND THEN DEARBORN AND INDIANA. ALL RIGHT. WELL, THANKS FOR JOINING US. YES. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. WE'LL BE BACK IN A MOMENT. WELCOME BACK EVERYONE. WELCOME BACK EVERYONE. YOU'LL FIND THIS INTERESTING. THE UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI ROLLED OUT ITS NEW STATE OF THE ART 911 SYSTEM ON CAMPUS RECENTLY. THE GOAL IS TO MAKE THINGS MUCH EASIER FOR STUDENTS AND STAFF IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY. HERE'S MORE. NOW FROM ASHLEY KIRKLEN JACK ATHERTON I LIVE ON CALHOUN, SO I ALSO SEE A LOT OF THOSE HIGH SCHOOLERS THAT LIKE JUST FIGHT ON THE STREET. SO THERE'S DEFINITELY A FEW PARTS ARE A LITTLE SCARY AROUND HERE, BUT ON CAMPUS, I FEEL GENERALLY SAFE. STUDENTS ON THE UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI'S CAMPUS CAN NOW FEEL EVEN MORE SAFE. THANKS TO THE UPGRADES TO UC'S 911 CALL CENTER, 9111. YOU STILL WANT ME TO SHOW YOU OUT ON THAT? IT WILL GIVE US THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE GREATER DATA TRANSFERS, WHICH WILL GREATLY DECREASE RESPONSE TIMES FOR OUR OFFICERS. NOW, THAT CALLS ARE COMING DIRECTLY INTO THE UNIVERSITY. PREVIOUSLY, ALL OF UC'S EMERGENCY CALLS WERE GIVEN TO THEM THROUGH THE CITY OF CINCINNATI. NOW, THOSE 911 CALLS WILL GO DIRECTLY INTO THEIR CALL CENTER, MEANING FASTER RESPONSE TIMES. NOT HAVING THAT GO BETWEEN NOT HAVING TO HAVE THOSE CALLS TRANSFERRED, IT OBVIOUSLY PROVIDES US THAT DATA AND INFORMATION MORE RAPIDLY AND THAT WE CAN RESPOND AND PROVIDE THE ASSISTANCE THAT'S NEEDED. I DEFINITELY DON'T GO OUT AT NIGHT LIKE WHEN I'M ALONE, JUST BECAUSE I DO GET WORRIED ABOUT SOME THINGS. AND TO THINK THAT, LIKE, IT HAS TO BOUNCE BACK BETWEEN A FEW PLACES, KIND OF. IT'S A LITTLE CONCERNING WHEN A CALL IS DROPPED, UC DISPATCHERS WILL NOW RECEIVE THE LAST KNOWN LOCATION OF THE CALLER. THE SYSTEM WILL ALSO ALLOW TEXT MESSAGES TO COME DIRECTLY INTO THE CALL CENTER. COPIES TWO 610, 18 I'M A BIG TEXTER, BUT I DO THINK THAT TEXTING WILL BE ABLE TO HELP, ESPECIALLY IF PEOPLE ARE IN A SITUATION WHERE THEY CAN'T REALLY TALK TO SOMEONE. BEING ABLE JUST TO TEXT AND SAY, HEY, I NEED HELP IS A GREAT ASSET. YEAH. AND AGAIN, CHIEF ELLIOT ISAAC SAYS THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY IS SAFETY. AND WITH CALLS AGAIN COMING DIRECTLY INTO THE UC CALL CENTER, RESPONSE TIMES SHOULD BE MUCH FASTER. WE'LL BE BACK IN A MOMENT. AND WITH ME NOW IS KENNETH AND WITH ME NOW IS KENNETH WILSON. HE IS A FINANCIAL ADVISOR WITH NORTHWESTERN MUTUAL. AND FIRST OF ALL, WELCOME TO THE PROGRAM AGAIN. MY PLEASURE. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE DON'T TALK ABOUT AS MUCH. AND THAT'S SOCIAL SECURITY. YOU WERE AT A CONFERENCE RECENTLY, UH, WHERE YOU DISCUSSED THIS. SO FIRST TELL ME ABOUT THAT. AND THEN WE'LL GET INTO SOME PARTICULARS. WELL, UM, I WOULD ASSUME THAT VERY FEW PEOPLE KNOW THAT APRIL IS NATIONAL SOCIAL SECURITY MONTH, AND SO I WAS RECENTLY HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF OF BEING INVOLVED, SERVED WITH A GROUP OF OTHER FINANCIAL PROFESSIONALS AS WE DID A DEEP DIVE AND UNDERSTANDING THE CURRENT LAWS, THE PUTS AND CALLS, SOME SCENARIOS THAT THAT TALKED ABOUT THE IMPACT ON THE LIVES OF AMERICANS WHO HAVE BEEN PAYING INTO SOCIAL SECURITY AND ARE COUNTING ON THAT AS PART OF THEIR RETIRE ASSETS. YOU KNOW, AS YOU SAID, PEOPLE HAVE BEEN PAYING INTO THIS, AND IT'S INTERESTING WHAT WE HEAR OUT OF WASHINGTON A LOT IS THAT, WELL, THERE'S NOT ENOUGH. IT WON'T BE THERE. SOCIAL SECURITY IS. 21% OF THE NATIONAL BUDGET ABOUT. $1.4 TRILLION. THE ONLY THING THAT WE SPEND MORE MONEY ON THAN SOCIAL SECURITY IS HEALTH PROGRAMS LIKE MEDICARE, MEDICAID, ETC. SO IT IS AN ENORMOUS EXPENDITURE. I WILL SAY THIS WITHOUT MAKING A PREDICTION THAT IF SOCIAL SECURITY WENT AWAY COLD TURKEY, WE WOULD BE SPIRALING ECONOMICALLY INTO A DEEP RECESSION. ALLEN IT WOULD HAVE A PROFOUND AND NEGATIVE IMPACT ON OUR ECONOMY. YOU WILL ALWAYS HEAR THE SOCIAL SECURITY POLITICIZED SOME LAWMAKERS SAYING, WE NEED TO SHAVE IT A LITTLE BIT, BUT FORTUNATELY THAT HAS NOT BEEN THE CASE. HISTORICALLY, THERE'S BEEN. TWO EVENTS SAINTS WHERE SOCIAL SECURITY WAS, UH, REALLY ON LIFE SUPPORT AND CONGRESS, YES, IN THE SENATE, STEPPED UP AND DID WHAT WAS NECESSARY TO SUSTAIN IT. ONE THING THAT I SEE IN MY FINANCIAL PRACTICE IS THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE IN THEIR EARLY 60S WHO ARE STILL WORKING, BUT THEY'RE ELIGIBLE FOR SOCIAL SECURITY. AND SO WHAT I WOULD SAY TO THOSE PEOPLE IS THAT AT 62, YOU'RE ELIGIBLE TO START RECEIVING SOCIAL SECURITY, THAT YOU HAVE LIMITS ON HOW MUCH INCOME YOU CAN MAKE. IT'S APPROXIMATELY $23,000. AND IF YOU MAKE MORE THAN THAT, IT DEDUCTS FROM YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFIT. FOR EVERY $2 YOU MAKE OVER 23,000, YOUR YOUR BENEFITS REDUCE BY $1. SO YOU NEED TO BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT THAT. BUT THE GOOD NEWS AND I SPOKE WITH A CLIENT YESTERDAY WHO'S 68 AND SHE IS FULL RETIREMENT AGE, BUT SHE'S A SCHOOL TEACHER AND SHE CONTINUES TO WORK. THEN ONCE YOU'RE FULL RETIREMENT AGE THAT YOU CAN MAKE UNLIMITED AMOUNT OF MONEY AND STILL RECEIVE YOUR FULL BENEFIT, DO YOU ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO WAIT TILL 70 OR TAKE IT AT THEIR FULL ELIGIBLE? IT IS A VERY INDIVIDUAL DIAGNOSTIC. IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION GENERICALLY. IT DEPENDS. SO I HAVE SOME REALLY HIGH INCOME, UH, CLIENTS. YOU KNOW, I HAVE BUSINESS OWNERS AND DOCTORS AND P&G, GE EXECUTIVES, ETC. FOR THEM, IT MAKES SENSE BECAUSE THEY HAVE OTHER ASSETS. I DON'T THINK THAT'S THE AVERAGE OR THE NORM IN OUR SOCIETY. UM, I WILL SAY THIS. YOU'VE BEING THE TEACHER THAT I REFERENCED AS AN EXAMPLE THAT THAT IF SHE DEFERRED TO AGE SEVEN, SHE HER BENEFIT RATE WOULD GO UP ABOUT. $300 A MONTH IF SHE TAKES IT NOW, BETWEEN NOW AND AGE 70, SHE'S GOING TO HAVE ABOUT $36,000 IN SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS. SO GOING UP $300 A MONTH, HOW LONG WOULD SHE HAVE TO LIVE TO MAKE UP FOR THE $36,000 THAT SHE DELAYED OR DEFERRED? SO IN THAT SITUATION, GET THE MONEY NOW, I USE I USE THE CHART AND I TOOK IT TO 80 AND I SAID, HEY, WELL, IF I, IF I START AT 62, HOW MUCH WOULD I MAKE TILL 80? UM, IF I GO AT 60, THAT'S, THAT'S RIGHT. SEVEN ON HOW LONG WILL IT. HOW MUCH WOULD I GET TO 80. AND I KEPT DOING THAT. AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT, UH, THE HIGHER AMOUNT WOULD ACTUALLY CAME IN LESS NOW IF I LIVED LONGER THAN 80, THEN IT STARTS TO GET A LITTLE, WHICH I HOPE I DO. THAT'S AN EXAMPLE OF THE MATH THAT WE USE WITH CLIENTS TO HELP THEM MAKE THE BEST DECISIONS. THERE'S ALSO IT'S IT'S SO INTRICATE AND IT'S IN MANY WAYS EXTREMELY GENEROUS THAT I COMPARE SOCIAL SECURITY TO AN ANNUITY THAT IF YOU'RE GETTING $40,000 A YEAR IN SOCIAL SECURITY, YOU'D HAVE TO PUT $1 MILLION INTO TO AN ANNUITY TO GENERATE THAT SAME INCOME, OR $1 MILLION INTO AN IRA, AND TO BE ABLE TO GENERATE $40,000 A YEAR OF ANNUAL INCOME. SO IT IS A TREMENDOUS ASSET. IT'S LIKE HAVING A MILLION DOLLAR ASSET IN A CASE THAT I JUST GAVE THAT EXAMPLE. BUT THERE ARE SUBTLE TOUCHES AND THERE ARE RULES OF SOCIAL SECURITY THAT PEOPLE ARE NOT AWARE OF. I WOULD ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO CONNECT WITH A FINANCIAL PROFESSIONAL AND MAKE SURE THAT THERE ARE NOT MONIES AVAILABLE NOBLE TO YOU THAT YOU'VE EARNED, THAT YOU ARE NOT ACCESSING. WELL, THAT'S GOOD ADVICE, GOOD ADVICE. YOU'RE ALWAYS WELCOME TO TO SET US STRAIGHT HERE. OKAY? I APPRECIATE YOU, MAN. I'M PROUD OF YOU. AND I ADMIRE YOU AND I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE FOR OUR COMMUNITY. WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, KEN. I APPRECIATE THAT. WE'LL BE BACK IN A MOMENT. AND FINALLY TODAY, TRIBUTES ARE AND FINALLY TODAY, TRIBUTES ARE STILL FLOODING SOCIAL MEDIA, REMEMBERING THE LIFE AND SERVICE OF A BELOVED BASKETBALL COACH AND EDUCATOR, MARK MITCHELL, WHO PASSED AWAY UNEXPECTEDLY AT THE AGE OF 56. RECENTLY, HE LED THE TAFT HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL TEAM TO THE FIRST STATE CHAMPIONSHIP IN SCHOOL HISTORY BACK IN 2011, BUILDING THAT PROGRAM THROUGH PERSISTENCE, PATIENCE AND TOUGH LOVE, MARK WAS A PERSON THAT REALLY JUST GAVE BACK. HE GAVE EVERYTHING HE HAD. IT DIDN'T MATTER. NO ONE KNOWS THE LIFE STORY OF COACH MARK MITCHELL BETTER THAN HIS SOUL MATE OF MORE THAN 30 YEARS. HIS WIFE CHERYL. THE TWO OF THEM A TEAM SINCE THE FIRST DAY THEY MET AS STUDENTS ON THE CAMPUS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY. SHE SHARED MARK'S LOVE OF SPORTS AND HELPING YOUNG, YOUNG PEOPLE DREAM BIG. HE WAS HONEST, TRUTHFUL, AND HE REALLY WAS ALL ABOUT HIS FAMILY. HIS WIFE, HIS PLAYERS, HIS BOYS. I MEAN, HE WAS REALLY DEDICATED TO BASKETBALL. ALL MY KIDS THAT WHEN THEY CALL, THEY ALWAYS GET OFF THE PHONE AND SAY, I LOVE YOU, MARK. I ALWAYS SAY, I LOVE YOU, MAN, I LOVE YOU. THAT'S ONE OF HIS THINGS, I LOVE YOU. IT'S LET'S JUST DEVELOP CHAMPIONSHIP HABITS. COACH MITCH, AS EVERYONE CALLED HIM, LED THE TAFT HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL TEAM TO THEIR FIRST STATE CHAMPIONSHIP IN SCHOOL HISTORY IN 2011, BUILDING THAT PROGRAM THROUGH PERSISTENCE PRACTICE AND TOUGH LOVE. PEOPLE SAY ROLE MODELS WELL, ROLE MODEL IS SOMEBODY YOU SEE ON TV. PROBABLY NOT GOING TO EVER COME TO YOUR HOUSE. PROBABLY WHOEVER BRING YOU GROCERIES PROBABLY WILL NEVER TAKE YOU TO THE HOSPITAL WHEN YOU GET SICK, BUT A REAL MODEL IS SOMEBODY THAT YOU CAN TOUCH THAT YOU CAN SEE, THAT YOU CAN CALL IN THE LATE NIGHT HOURS AND SAY, I NEED YOU. THAT'S WHAT YOU GOT FROM COACH MITCH. YOU JUST GOT THAT LOVE. THE REAL LOVE, THE REAL, THE REAL OF EVERYTHING FROM A PERSON. OVER THE YEARS AS HE WENT TO COLLEGE AND GRADUATED, OUR RELATIONSHIP NEVER CHANGED. AND I REALLY LOVE MARK. LIKE ONE OF MY SONS. I MEAN, I LOVED HIM, YOU KNOW, AND HIS WIFE WAS SAYING EARLIER HOW THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE BOTH DID EVEN BEFORE WE STARTED THE GROUP. IT WAS ALWAYS, I LOVE YOU BECAUSE US AS MEN, WE DON'T SAY THAT ENOUGH, YOU KNOW? AND FOR YOUNG MEN, THEY DON'T HEAR IT ENOUGH. SO WE BOTH MADE THAT A PRIORITY TO LET OUR YOUNG MEN KNOW, HEY, WE LOVE YOU. AND THAT'S THE REASON WE'RE HERE. AND THAT'S THE REASON WE DO THE THINGS THAT WE DO. BECAUSE WE LOVE YOU AS A YOUNG PERSON, HE ALSO SERVED AS A COACH AT A FEW OTHER LOCAL SCHOOLS, AS WELL AS OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY AND MOST RECENTLY, WILBERFORCE UNIVERSITY. THE FATHER OF FOUR CHILDREN, CAMERON, KEVIN, CHELSEA AND WNBA PLAYER AND OSU HALL OF FAMER KELSEY MITCHELL. A LOT OF HIS KIDS WOULD ALWAYS SEE HIM WITH HIS FAMILY NO MATTER WHAT, AND ME AND MARK HAD OUR KIDS SO HIS KIDS SAW THAT THOSE KIDS THAT HE BROUGHT. NOW I SEE ALL HIS KIDS, NO MATTER AT THE BASKETBALL GAME. THEY GOT THEM KIDS. I SAID, MAN, AND I SAID, I SAID, YOU REALLY INSTILLED THAT IN THAT KID. HE SAID, I ALWAYS TALKED ABOUT FAMILY. HE SAID, FAMILY IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ME. HE. WELL, THAT DOES IT FOR THE PROGRAM TODAY. THANKS FOR JOINING ME. I'LL SEE YOU NEXT TIME FOR ANOTHER EDITION OF LET'S TALK CINCY.