We're in week three of 13 Scary Financial Stats on The Groundwork. How likely is it that you'll carry debt into retirement? That you'll have enough saved? That you'll struggle financially once you get there? Stats 7 through 9 cover all three.

As a financial advisor in Lexington, Kentucky, I see these questions come up with families across Central Kentucky who are getting close to retirement and want to know whether their plan will hold up.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

Stat 7: You Can Run, But You Can't Hide From Your Debt

•      A survey by American Financing found that 44% of retirees still carry a mortgage, and the number of people over 60 carrying credit card, medical, and student debt is rising.

•      Before you retire, ask: what happens if you pay a little extra each month right now? What if you consolidate higher-rate debt into something lower? These aren't complicated decisions. They just need to be run through the numbers.

•      The goal: walk into retirement with a debt plan, not a debt surprise.

Stat 8: The Savings Gap Is Real and It's Wide

•      One in four U.S. workers has zero retirement savings -- no cushion for an emergency, let alone a plan for retirement.

•      Among Americans ages 55 to 67, 30% have less than $10,000 saved. Vanguard's How America Saves report puts the median balance for savers ages 55 to 64 at $87,571. For most households, that's not enough to retire on.

•      These aren't people who failed. Many never had a real plan, never had access to good advice, or faced circumstances that made saving feel impossible. The answer isn't shame. It's urgency. Start now.

Stat 9: One in Live Retirees Are Struggling

•      According to the Schroders Retirement Readiness Report, 20% of people who are already retired are struggling financially.

•      Once you've retired, your options for fixing a broken plan are significantly more limited. You can go back to work, but you can't really re-enter at full capacity. The window to build a strong plan is before retirement, not during it.

•      A strong plan accounts for your spending, income sources, healthcare costs, tax situation, debt, and what happens if something goes wrong. It's a living document you revisit -- the difference between a retirement you enjoy and one you just endure.

If this month's stats have you thinking about your own plan, let's work through it together.

Whether it's debt headed into retirement, a savings gap, or uncertainty about whether your current plan will hold up, I help families in Lexington and across Central Kentucky build retirement plans before the window closes.