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PODCAST

Retirement Starts Today

Benjamin Brandt CFP®, RICP®

Do you want to spend more money & pay less taxes on your way to an even better retirement? Great news, you"re in the right place! I"ll also teach you the benefits of retiring TO something, while most retirees only solve half the equation by retiring FROM something. Tune in every Monday morning - hosted by Benjamin Brandt CFP®, RICP®. Join my "This Week in Retirement" newsletter for the best retirement content of the week, sourced by me: https://pages.thisweekinretirement.com/newsletter

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All Episodes

18:58

Why Financial Independence is Overrated [Rebroadcast]

Retirement Starts Today ·

2025/12/29

Nick Maggiulli's latest article in Of Dollars & Data challenges one of the core ideas that drives personal finance blogs, podcasts, and even some of our own thinking — the belief that financial independence should be the ultimate goal. We explore the surprising downsides of chasing early retirement, the difference between financial independence and financial freedom, and why something called "Coast FIRE" might be the real goal worth aiming for. I also answer a listener question: What can retirees

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15:50

Spending Drops in Retirement, but Satisfaction...

Retirement Starts Today ·

2025/12/22

New research from David Blanchett, head of retirement research at PGIM, challenges one of the biggest assumptions in retirement planning: that happiness in retirement depends on maintaining a constant—or even increasing—level of spending. ⬇️ Upon entering retirement, households experience a median consumption decline of about 20%. This drop is often viewed as a red flag in traditional financial planning models. However, Blanchett argues that this decline is not necessarily problematic,

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15:16

Who Has Actually Saved $1 Million for Retirement?...

Retirement Starts Today ·

2025/12/15

Only 3% of Americans have saved $1 million for retirement. according to 24/7 Wall St. & AOL. I'll break down what that means—and why your personal number might be more important than any national average. After that, I answer a listener question where we tackle how to cover healthcare costs in early retirement—specifically for a 58-year-old retiree with a non-working spouse and three adult kids under 26 still on the family plan. We'll explore ACA strategies, income planning, and a clever way to

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18:21

Five Key Retirement Challenges (and Solutions)...

Retirement Starts Today ·

2025/12/08

Most people focus on saving for retirement, but what happens when you actually get there? Retirement isn't just about having enough money—it's about managing risks that can threaten your financial security and lifestyle. In this episode, we explore Five Key Retirement Challenges (and Solutions), inspired by a Kiplinger's Personal Finance article by Walt West. From unexpected market downturns to rising healthcare costs, these challenges can catch retirees off guard if they're not prepared. We

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15:23

Retirees Only Spend 2.1% Per Year [Rebroadcast]

Retirement Starts Today ·

2025/12/01

Click here to work with us! Many retirees enter their golden years with the goal of financial security, but what if the biggest risk isn't running out of money—it's not spending enough of it? A surprising new study reveals that retirees are withdrawing just 2% a year from their savings—barely half of what's traditionally considered safe. This cautious approach might seem responsible, but it often leads to unnecessary frugality, missed experiences, and larger-than-expected tax burdens later in life

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19:37

How to Spend More (or Less) in Retirement [Rebroadcast]

Retirement Starts Today ·

2025/11/24

Click here to work with us! Are you spending too little in retirement, worried you might outlive your savings? Many retirees struggle to strike the right balance, often holding back on enjoying the wealth they've worked a lifetime to build. I'll show you how to overcome those fears and spend with confidence while still planning for the future. What about real estate? Whether you're thinking about renting instead of owning, leveraging home equity for long-term care, or even investing in rental

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21:46

2025: The Year of Donor Advised Funds?

Retirement Starts Today ·

2025/11/17

Major charitable-giving changes are set to take effect next year under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. As a result, 2025 may be the best—and possibly last—great year to make a big charitable gift and get the full tax benefit in the same year. Listen in to hear the changes that take place in 2026 that could make 2025 the best year to use donor advised funds. In our listener question segment, Christie inquires about buying a home in retirement: "Should we withdraw from investments, or use a

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20:09

This Social Security Strategy Gives Retirees More to...

Retirement Starts Today ·

2025/11/10

A new report says retirees who use a so-called "bridge strategy" can actually spend more and need fewer assets to retire securely. That's right. By delaying Social Security and using other savings to "bridge the gap," you could improve your lifetime income, reduce longevity risk, and build more peace of mind into your plan. We will break down the research and find ways to make Social Security work harder for you. After that, I'll answer a listener question: What's the difference between a 5 year

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20:32

"One free lunch, please." Why Buffered ETFs might not...

Retirement Starts Today ·

2025/11/03

If something promises higher returns, it comes with higher risk — even if that risk isn't easy to see. And if something promises to protect your downside, it's usually charging you for it through fees, limited upside, or long-term lockups. Today's headline from Ben Henry-Moreland fits that idea perfectly. "Why 'Downside Protection' ETFs Don't Protect Portfolios As Well As A Stock-Bond Mix (In The Long Term)". After that, I'll answer a listener question about taxes & avoiding underpayment penalties

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22:19

Why Advisors Should Never Recommend Social Security...

Retirement Starts Today ·

2025/10/27

A few episodes ago, we covered Derek Tharp's research suggesting that not everyone should delay until 70 — especially those with shorter life expectancies or limited assets. This week's headline brings the opposite perspective: Michael Finke argues that for higher-income retirees who expect to live longer, claiming early is almost always a mistake — and that fear-based decisions about Social Security's solvency can cost retirees hundreds of thousands in lifetime income. Plus, a listener asks about

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17:46

It’s so Simple…

Retirement Starts Today ·

2025/10/20

Do lower-cost funds tend to outperform pricier ones over time? Jeffrey Ptak analyzed fifteen years of performance data covering virtually every U.S. mutual fund and ETF. He divided them into five “cost buckets,” from the cheapest 10% all the way up to the most expensive 10%. He then compared each group’s average monthly return against its peers within the same category. The result? A clean, almost perfect staircase of performance. The cheapest funds outperformed the second-cheapest, which

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22:58

Cut Your Retirement Stress in Half (New Vanguard Study)

Retirement Starts Today ·

2025/10/13

Vanguard Research put out a paper called "The Emotional and Time Value of Advice” (June 2025). It claims that there are "emotional benefits and time-saving value that paid professional financial advice provides to clients." In other words: The benefit isn't the portfolio or financial advice, but the emotional and time-saving value getting paid professional advice can provide. Then for our listener question: Gary wants to know how his Health Savings Account (HSA) interacts with Medicare. Can you

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27:13

Delay to 70? Not So Fast - The New Case for Claiming...

Retirement Starts Today ·

2025/10/06

Only about 4% of retirees actually wait until age 70 to claim Social Security, despite the financial benefits of delaying them. This comes from an article by Derek Tharp at Kitces.com titled “The Flaws In Using A 0% Discount Rate To Justify Delaying Social Security”. It takes a hard look at why the common advice to “wait until 70” might not always hold up in the real world. Tharp argues that the assumptions baked into much of the research—especially the idea that a future Social Security dollar is

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21:29

Roth Conversions after One Big Beautiful Bill

Retirement Starts Today ·

2025/09/29

Our retirement headline is from a ThinkAdvisor article titled "Ed Slott: Roth Conversions Are Trickier Under New Tax Law" by Melanie Waddell. “With the extended tax cuts under President Trump’s recently passed tax and spending law, ‘Roth conversions should be accelerated to take advantage of more years of low tax rates,’ according to Ed Slott of Ed Slott & Co. ‘You never want to leave a low tax bracket unfilled,’ he said. ‘Low tax brackets need to be maximized each year, but how much to convert

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27:27

Collect Social Security Early & Invest in the Market?

Retirement Starts Today ·

2025/09/22

Should I collect Social Security early & invest the proceeds into the stock market? This is the age-old question I see on a nearly daily basis in retirement forums. An article from Morningstar - written by Christine Benz and features a conversation with Social Security expert Mary Beth Franklin - gives me the basis for sharing six obstacles for claiming instead of waiting. Also, we share a listener question about whether retirees should stick with the traditional 60/40 stock-and-bond portfolio or

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19:05

Insert Clickbait Title [Here]

Retirement Starts Today ·

2025/09/15

Inflammatory headlines are "Clickbait", and I am not immune to falling for them. "Social Security recipients set to face an $18,000 benefit cut in just seven years" is the most recent culprit in my Google feed - with an image of a Social Security check with a wrecking ball smashing straight through it. The good news is the headline is pretty far from reality for most people, and I explain why. Listen in to understand who might actually be impacted, and why most people actually won't. Source: Article

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20:59

Retirement Dreams or Retirement Nightmares? Lessons...

Retirement Starts Today ·

2025/09/08

"Only 5% of retirees say they’re living the dream and 19% are living the nightmare." says Deb Boyden in an article from Yahoo Finance. Deb provides three lessons to protect your future, which we dig into to see how it applies to your retirement: Lesson 1: You’re Probably Not Saving Enough Lesson 2: Expect the Unexpected Lesson 3: Winging It Won’t Get You There In our Listener Question segment, we talk about the pro rata rule and Roth conversions. It’s one of those areas that seems simple on the

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19:07

Why Your Old Spending Habits Won’t Work in Retirement

Retirement Starts Today ·

2025/09/01

If you’ve saved more than a million dollars, that puts you ahead of 90% of your peers. Statistically, that makes you a super saver. But one of the biggest challenges super savers face is this: it’s hard to spend your own money. In this episode, I share one exercise that can help break some of those old habits and open the door to a more fulfilling retirement. A Practical Exercise Think back over the last year or two and pick a trip that you really enjoyed. Itemize all the spending decisions you can

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17:19

Don’t Let Your Brain Shrink Your Retirement Benefits

Retirement Starts Today ·

2025/08/25

We’re taking another look at one of retirement planning’s sneakiest pitfalls — underestimating your own life expectancy. We explore why smart people make short-sighted Social Security decisions, how psychological biases can distort your thinking, and why planning to live a long time isn’t pessimistic. Then, our listener question covers the nuts and bolts of how to apply for Social Security (online, phone or in-person), a critical heads-up for widows who want to claim survivor benefits without

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28:38

Inside the new Tax Rules for Retirees

Retirement Starts Today ·

2025/08/18

We’re going inside the new tax rules for retirees. From a brand-new $6,000 deduction for seniors to major changes in how charitable giving is handled, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act has reshaped key parts of the retirement tax landscape. We’ll break down what’s changed, what’s just political spin, and what you can do right now to take advantage of these new rules. After that, we answer a listener question: Have you ever wondered what the letters behind a Financial Advisor’s name mean? Resources:

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