Retirement Starts Today

Episoade

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  6 Cases When a Roth IRA Conversion Isn't a Smart Move 14.09.2026 24min

  A Barron's piece from Jonathan Shenkman shares 6 reasons to think twice before you convert a Roth IRA. I agree with some of them - but strongly disagree with others because they apply to Super Savers - listeners of this show - differently. We will go through all six with my additions for a Super Saver like you. Then we answer a listener question from a 62 year old who is about to retire and wants to bridge the gap until he begins pulling in Social Security at age 70. And you know we have a great Retire To Something segment to wrap up the show. Enjoy! Resource: Barron's article by Jonathan I. Shenkman: "6 Cases When a Roth IRA Conversion Isn't a Smart Move"   Connect with Benjamin Brandt: Subscribe to the This Week in Retirement: http://thisweekinretirement.com Get the Retire-Ready Toolkit: http://retirementstartstodayradio.com Work with Benjamin: https://retirementstartstoday.com/start Get the book!Retirement Starts Today: Your Non-financial Guide to an Even Better Retirement Follow Retirement Starts Today in:Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Amazon Music, or iHeart  
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  Why I Object to 'Hitting a Number' for Retirement 07.09.2026 20min

  Christine Benz got a text from a friend the other day. A mutual friend from college was retiring because he'd "hit his number in the stock market". Most people would read that and think, good for him. Benz says all her alarm bells went off. Not out of envy. In her experience, "I hit my number" is usually a sign that the plan behind it isn't much of a plan. Today we discuss two different ways Christine says people gets this wrong. We also tackle a listener question asking if $1,000,000 is enough and wrap things up with a Retire To Something story. Resource:Article by Christine Benz in Morningstar: "Why I Object to 'Hitting a Number' for Retirement"    Connect with Benjamin Brandt: Subscribe to the This Week in Retirement: http://thisweekinretirement.com Get the Retire-Ready Toolkit: http://retirementstartstodayradio.com Work with Benjamin: https://retirementstartstoday.com/start Get the book!Retirement Starts Today: Your Non-financial Guide to an Even Better Retirement Follow Retirement Starts Today in:Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Amazon Music, or iHeart  
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  The 'Open Sandwich' Generation 31.08.2026 14min

  The term "Sandwich Generation" has been around since the 80s. You're the one in the middle - with aging parents on one side and dependent kids on the other. Dan Haylett shared an article he calls The "Open Sandwich" Generation, which is after your parents pass away. We will discuss Dan's article on what happens when the slices come off. In our Listener Question segment, I'm asked "How do you do estate planning when you don't have anybody to name?" And we wrap it up with a story that hits true to the meaning of "Retiring To Something".   Resource: Article by Dan Haylett: The 'Open Sandwich' Generation
   Connect with Benjamin Brandt: Subscribe to the This Week in Retirement: http://thisweekinretirement.com Get the Retire-Ready Toolkit: http://retirementstartstodayradio.com Work with Benjamin: https://retirementstartstoday.com/start Get the book!Retirement Starts Today: Your Non-financial Guide to an Even Better Retirement Follow Retirement Starts Today in:Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Amazon Music, or iHeart  
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  Your $135,000 Retirement Risk 24.08.2026 18min

  The 2025 Milliman Long-Term Care Index put a number on long-term care: $135,000, the lump-sum amount an average 65-year-old would need to set aside today to cover the expected lifetime cost of long-term care. But there are some details you need to know that make up that number. About half of those who need paid long-term care only do so for less than a year (averaging $30,000 in total cost). The other half need care for more than 5 years at an average of $665,000. $135,000 is just the average. We will also take a question with multiple millions wanting to know if he should buy long-term care insurance or self-fund? Resource:  Article by Christopher Giese, Annie Gunnlaugsson, Evan Pollock, and Kevin Brown: 2025 Milliman Long-Term Care Index   Connect with Benjamin Brandt: Subscribe to the This Week in Retirement: http://thisweekinretirement.com Get the Retire-Ready Toolkit: http://retirementstartstodayradio.com Work with Benjamin: https://retirementstartstoday.com/start Get the book!Retirement Starts Today: Your Non-financial Guide to an Even Better Retirement Follow Retirement Starts Today in:Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Amazon Music, or iHeart  
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  38% of Retirees Underspend 17.08.2026 20min

  A Corebridge Financial's decumulation study found 70% of American retirees say it's "very important" that their nest egg doesn't shrink in retirement. Another result found 38% say they've spent less than they wanted to-  but not because the money isn't there. They spent less specifically to keep the balance from going down. We go over more results from the study and what they mean in today's episode. In our Listener Question segment, a married person has two pensions. While he's alive, the guaranteed income covers everything. If he dies first, his wife loses half of it. So how do you account for that WITHOUT drastically underspending your portfolio?  Finally, we wrap up the show with our Retire To Something segment.   Resources: Article by Vawn Himmelsbach in Moneywise: 'It's not the climb up. It's the way down': 38% of retirees have trouble spending their money  Read And Feed program: https://readandfeed.org   Connect with Benjamin Brandt: Subscribe to the This Week in Retirement: http://thisweekinretirement.com Get the Retire-Ready Toolkit: http://retirementstartstodayradio.com Work with Benjamin: https://retirementstartstoday.com/start Get the book!Retirement Starts Today: Your Non-financial Guide to an Even Better Retirement Follow Retirement Starts Today in:Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Amazon Music, or iHeart  
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  "New" Rules around 401K Catch-Up Contributions 10.08.2026 18min

  A rule changed on January first that takes the tax deduction away from catch-up contributions for a lot of people who are still working. We'll run through all the 2026 numbers and talk about whether it's still worth doing. In our Listener Question segment, a fellow in Connecticut is worried that the low-income window he's been counting on for Roth conversions may never show up, because his wife is a high earner four years younger than he is. He's come up with a clever workaround. And to close out the show we hear from a retired HR Manager. After building a successful career, he found a meaningful way to give back through Reading Partners, serving as a remote reading tutor for students who need extra support.   Resources: Article by Amy Arnott in MorningStar: Should Higher Earners Still Make 401(k) Catch‑Up Contributions?   Reading Partners: https://readingpartners.org   Connect with Benjamin Brandt: Subscribe to the This Week in Retirement: http://thisweekinretirement.com Get the Retire-Ready Toolkit: http://retirementstartstodayradio.com Work with Benjamin: https://retirementstartstoday.com/start Get the book!Retirement Starts Today: Your Non-financial Guide to an Even Better Retirement Follow Retirement Starts Today in:Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Amazon Music, or iHeart  
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  The Four Risks to Retirement Security 03.08.2026 19min

  Chris Heye makes the case in a Journal of Financial Planning article that the two retirement risks we obsess over might not be the two most likely to derail us. There are four risks in play, and the two nobody models are the ones quietly doing the most damage: Longevity Risk Market Risk Health Risk Decision Risk I go into depth on those last two. In our Listener Question, a 69-year-old retired engineer and do-it-yourselfer asks about setting up my plan for his wife who's just not into dollars and cents. And in our Retire To Something segment: Debbie shares her "One Year Sabbatical" — and how she gives herself permission to figure out her purpose along the way. Resource: Article by Chris Heye, Ph.D. in the Journal of Financial Planning: Beyond Sequence of Returns: The Four Risks to Retirement Security     Connect with Benjamin Brandt: Subscribe to the This Week in Retirement: http://thisweekinretirement.com Get the Retire-Ready Toolkit: http://retirementstartstodayradio.com Work with Benjamin: https://retirementstartstoday.com/start Get the book!Retirement Starts Today: Your Non-financial Guide to an Even Better Retirement Follow Retirement Starts Today in:Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Amazon Music, or iHeart  
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  How Much Should You Worry About Inflation? 27.07.2026 20min

  Inflation again? Christine Benz over at Morningstar has three questions that tell you exactly how exposed you are - and how much retirees worry about inflation. Then, a listener question from someone one year into retirement who says their pension check feels like it just shrank ten percent - and what they might do to remedy that.  And in our Retire To Something segment, Linda from Ontario, Canada, wanted a job at a cheese shop that wasn't hiring — and she applied anyway. Resources: Morningstar article by Christine Benz: How Much Should Retirees Worry About Inflation? Christine Benz book: How to Retire: 20 lessons for a happy, successful, and wealthy retirement   Connect with Benjamin Brandt: Subscribe to the This Week in Retirement: http://thisweekinretirement.com Get the Retire-Ready Toolkit: http://retirementstartstodayradio.com Work with Benjamin: https://retirementstartstoday.com/start Get the book!Retirement Starts Today: Your Non-financial Guide to an Even Better Retirement Follow Retirement Starts Today in:Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Amazon Music, or iHeart  
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  Revisiting the 4% Rule, with Bill Bengen 20.07.2026 21min

  If you've been anywhere close to a retirement podcast over the last 10-20 years, you've heard of the 4% rule. And like many people, you might have questions about it. We're going to hear about it directly from the horse's mouth as we talk to Bill Bengen, who first articulated the 4% withdrawal rate as a rule of thumb for withdrawal rates from retirement accounts. The 4% rule is not a rigid rule but a guideline. Its application requires careful consideration of individual factors, including health, life expectancy, and specific financial circumstances. Bengen encourages retirees to tailor their withdrawal strategies based on their unique situations. Our discussion also explored required minimum distributions (RMDs), which may necessitate higher withdrawals in later years of retirement. However, Bengen suggests that for most people, RMDs would not exceed the calculated withdrawal rates until a very advanced age, making the two compatible. Core Points: The 4% rule, initially a worst-case scenario calculation, suggests a 4% annual withdrawal from retirement savings. This has since been refined Research indicates a more generous 4.7% withdrawal rate is now possible due to portfolio diversification and lower investment costs Higher withdrawal rates might be feasible (5-5.5%), depending on market valuations and inflation Early retirement withdrawal timing significantly impacts long-term success Consider individual circumstances, market conditions, and inflation when adjusting withdrawal strategies   Resource: Bill Bengen's book, "A Richer Retirement: Supercharging the 4% Rule to Spend More and Enjoy More" https://www.bengenfs.com/order-my-book   Connect with Benjamin Brandt: Subscribe to the This Week in Retirement: http://thisweekinretirement.com Get the Retire-Ready Toolkit: http://retirementstartstodayradio.com Work with Benjamin: https://retirementstartstoday.com/start Get the book!Retirement Starts Today: Your Non-financial Guide to an Even Better Retirement Follow Retirement Starts Today in:Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Amazon Music, or iHeart
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  Retirement Is a Sprint, Not a Marathon 13.07.2026 21min

  Fritz Gilbert says the adage that "Retirement is a marathon, not a sprint" is backwards. He cites an average age where health starts to decline is 64, so sprinting in those first few years when the average retiree is 61-63 makes sense. We will dig into that idea, then follow it up with a listener who can't get her husband to think about anything but saving money.   Resource: Article by Fritz Gilbert: Retirement is a Sprint, Not a Marathon   Connect with Benjamin Brandt: Subscribe to the This Week in Retirement: http://thisweekinretirement.com Get the Retire-Ready Toolkit: http://retirementstartstodayradio.com Work with Benjamin: https://retirementstartstoday.com/start Get the book!Retirement Starts Today: Your Non-financial Guide to an Even Better Retirement Follow Retirement Starts Today in:Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Amazon Music, or iHeart    
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  Is Your Cautious Retirement Spending Doing More Harm Than Good? 06.07.2026 25min

  The fear of running out of money in retirement turns out to be mostly backwards. For super-savers, the data says the opposite usually happens. A piece from Danielle Labotka at Morningstar makes the case that for a lot of retirees: Being too cautious with your spending is actually the bigger risk.  In our listener question segment: Anonymous wants to give money to her kids with warm hands, not cold. How much you can safely give today without putting your own retirement at risk? And then we'll wrap up with our Retire To Something segment: Dabbling in a little of everything. Resources: Article by Danielle Labotka at Morningstar: Is Your Cautious Retirement Spending Doing More Harm Than Good? Book by Bill Perkins: Die With Zero: Getting All You Can from Your Money and Your Life   Connect with Benjamin Brandt: Subscribe to the This Week in Retirement: http://thisweekinretirement.com Get the Retire-Ready Toolkit: http://retirementstartstodayradio.com Work with Benjamin: https://retirementstartstoday.com/start Get the book!Retirement Starts Today: Your Non-financial Guide to an Even Better Retirement Follow Retirement Starts Today in:Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Amazon Music, or iHeart    
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  The IRS Penalty Retirees Never See Coming (And How to Beat It) 29.06.2026 21min

  Every year, thousands of retirees pay an extra penalty to the IRS — and almost none of them see it coming. What catches them off guard isn't a penalty for owing too much. You can do everything right — claim Social Security at the right age, run picture-perfect Roth conversions, manage your withdrawals down to the dollar — and still get a letter from the IRS charging you extra. I reworked a framework from an article by Sheryl Rowling at Morningstar into four clean, completely legal ways to avoid getting tax penalties. After that, we've got a listener question: A retiree writes in and says, "I don't want to think about money. My plan is tested, I have enough — so what's a simple checklist I can use to stay on track?"  And to close the show, our Retire To Something segment where Clif traded his to-do list for a garden plot — and found community, leadership, and a whole lot of homegrown vegetables in the process.   Resource: Article by Sheryl Rowling at Morningstar: 5 Ways to Avoid Tax Penalties    Connect with Benjamin Brandt: Subscribe to the This Week in Retirement: http://thisweekinretirement.com Get the Retire-Ready Toolkit: http://retirementstartstodayradio.com Work with Benjamin: https://retirementstartstoday.com/start Get the book!Retirement Starts Today: Your Non-financial Guide to an Even Better Retirement Follow Retirement Starts Today in:Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Amazon Music, or iHeart  
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  Consumer Sentiment is Terrible 22.06.2026 19min

  Americans don't feel great about the economy. Consumer Sentiment just hit the lowest reading in roughly 75 years. Ben Carlson over at A Wealth of Common Sense dug into why that might be, and what it means for those of us trying to enjoy a retirement when it always feels like the second shoe is about to drop. In our Listener Question segment, we hear from someone who is sitting on 50x their annual spending - and they can't get their spouse to spend it. Wrapping up the episode we hear from Karen in our "Retire To Something" segment. She's thru-hiking thousands of miles and loving it. Resource: Article by Ben Carlson of A Wealth of Common Sense: The Lowest Consumer Sentiment EVER   Connect with Benjamin Brandt: Subscribe to the This Week in Retirement: http://thisweekinretirement.com Get the Retire-Ready Toolkit: http://retirementstartstodayradio.com Work with Benjamin: https://retirementstartstoday.com/start Get the book!Retirement Starts Today: Your Non-financial Guide to an Even Better Retirement Follow Retirement Starts Today in:Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Amazon Music, or iHeart  
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  The IRA Decision That Affects Your Kids 15.06.2026 20min

  There's a decision your surviving spouse is going to make about your IRA, after you're already gone, that can either cut short or stretch out how long your kids get to keep that money growing — and most people don't even realize the choice is being made. We're going to zero in on one option in particular, one that sounds a little crazy on its face: turning down an inheritance on purpose.  In our Listener Question segment: A listener wrote in about a family farm, a couple of brothers he'd rather not be in business with, and whether saying "no thank you" to his own share is the way to keep the peace in the family.  And then to close things out, we'll head over to our Retire To Something segment where Shawn figured out how to check just about every box that matters. Resource: Article by Denise Appleby at Morningstar: The IRA Decision That Affects Your Kids    Connect with Benjamin Brandt: Subscribe to the This Week in Retirement: http://thisweekinretirement.com Get the Retire-Ready Toolkit: http://retirementstartstodayradio.com Work with Benjamin: https://retirementstartstoday.com/start Get the book!Retirement Starts Today: Your Non-financial Guide to an Even Better Retirement Follow Retirement Starts Today in:Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Amazon Music, or iHeart    
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  The Richest Person in the Graveyard 08.06.2026 19min

  You've heard it said a hundred times: Spend the money, make the memories, don't die with regret.  However, for certain kinds of retirees, dying as the richest person in the graveyard isn't a tragedy at all. The comfort of simply having the money can be worth more than anything you'd ever buy with it.   Today, we begin with an article, The Many Utilities of Retirement, which talks about RPIG (the Richest Person In the Graveyard) versus FORO (the Fear of Running Out of money). It's an interesting look at the juxtaposition. After that, a question - listener that calls himself the millionaire next door — he'll never spend what he's saved, it's all headed to the kids and grandkids, and yet he still mows his own lawn and changes his own oil. He wants to loosen up and spend a little more… but he also kind of loves the life he's already got. So what do you tell a guy like that? I'll give you my take.  And we wrap up the show with our Retire To Something segment. Resource: Article by William Bernstein and Edward McQuarrie: The Many Utilities of Retirement   Connect with Benjamin Brandt: Subscribe to the This Week in Retirement: http://thisweekinretirement.com Get the Retire-Ready Toolkit: http://retirementstartstodayradio.com Work with Benjamin: https://retirementstartstoday.com/start Get the book!Retirement Starts Today: Your Non-financial Guide to an Even Better Retirement Follow Retirement Starts Today in:Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Amazon Music, or iHeart  
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  The Best Strategies for Boosting Starting Withdrawal Rates in Retirement 01.06.2026 19min

  If you want to spend more at the beginning of retirement, which withdrawal strategies actually let you do that? This week's Retirement Headline from Amy C. Arnott called "The Best Strategies for Boosting Starting Withdrawal Rates in Retirement" answers that question. For our Listener Question: A listener wrote in wondering whether sequence-of-returns risk really fades away after the first decade of retirement, and if so — whether that means it's safe to bump withdrawals up to 5.5% or more later in the game. And we wrap it up with another Retire To Something segment. Resource: Article by Amy C. Arnott
 at Morningstar: The Best Strategies for Boosting Starting Withdrawal Rates in Retirement     Connect with Benjamin Brandt: Subscribe to the This Week in Retirement: http://thisweekinretirement.com Get the Retire-Ready Toolkit: http://retirementstartstodayradio.com Work with Benjamin: https://retirementstartstoday.com/start Get the book!Retirement Starts Today: Your Non-financial Guide to an Even Better Retirement Follow Retirement Starts Today in:Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Amazon Music, or iHeart  
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  How Super-Savers Spend Their Acorns in Retirement, with Dana Anspach 25.05.2026 22min

  Imagine a lifetime spent diligently saving your acorns, only to face a mental roadblock when it's time to enjoy them. Dana Anspach, CFP®, RMA®, and author of "Living Off Your Acorns," shares how this common challenge impacts retirees and introduces the critical "pre-go" phase.  This episode offers a fresh perspective on retirement planning, emphasizing conscious consumption of retirement funds. Key Takeaways: Identify and plan for the crucial "pre-go" phase of retirement, which involves significant financial and identity shifts Overcome the "super saver" mentality to give yourself permission to enjoy retirement spending and experiences Understand that retirement is not a single phase but multiple stages, each with unique challenges and opportunities Recognize the emotional and psychological hurdles of transitioning from saving to spending retirement funds Explore how to find purpose and joy beyond work through hobbies, travel, and charitable giving Resources Mentioned: Dana's new book: "Living Off Your Acorns: Your Guide To The Four Phases of Retirement" "Control Your Retirement Destiny" by Dana Anspach "Die with Zero" by Bill Perkins "The Prosperous Retirement: A Guide to the New Reality" by Michael Stein Your 12 Good Years article by Dan Hewlett Connect With Dana Anspach: Website: https://www.sensiblemoney.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@makingretirementmakesense    Connect with Benjamin Brandt: Subscribe to the This Week in Retirement: http://thisweekinretirement.com Get the Retire-Ready Toolkit: http://retirementstartstodayradio.com Work with Benjamin: https://retirementstartstoday.com/start Get Benjamin's book!Retirement Starts Today: Your Non-financial Guide to an Even Better Retirement Follow Retirement Starts Today in:Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Amazon Music, or iHeart  
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  How 2 Couples Cut Housing Costs To Speed Up Their Path To Early Retirement 18.05.2026 20min

  What happens when you reach financial independence by paying off a low interest rate mortgage early? Or being renter instead of buying a home and growing equity? I'll explain why hitting that milestone earns you the right to ignore some of the most stubborn rules in personal finance.  For our Listener Question: A listener wants to know how to think about real estate as part of a retirement portfolio — should they own a rental property for income? And we will wrap it up with another listener-sourced segment called "Retire to Something". Resource:  Article from Business Insider: "There's No One-Size-Fits-All Path to Early Retirement"   Connect with Benjamin Brandt: Subscribe to the This Week in Retirement: http://thisweekinretirement.com Get the Retire-Ready Toolkit: http://retirementstartstodayradio.com Work with Benjamin: https://retirementstartstoday.com/start Get the book!Retirement Starts Today: Your Non-financial Guide to an Even Better Retirement Follow Retirement Starts Today in:Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Amazon Music, or iHeart  
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  The "24-Hour Rule" That Keeps Retirees From Blowing Their Savings 11.05.2026 19min

  According to Capital One Shopping - 89% of shoppers have made some kind of impulse buy. More than half have spent more than $100 on a whim, and the average shopper made impulse buys adding up to $282 a month. A classic rule is to wait 24 hours to help curb impulse buys, but on today's show, I'm going to flip that rule on its head and explain why my listeners might actually need the opposite advice.  After that, I'll answer a listener question about switching from saving for decades to a spending mindset? You'll learn about my "half for me, half for you" framework. And to wrap up the show, I'll share what our happiest retired listeners are up to in our newest listener-sourced segment "Retire to Something". Resource: Article by Marc Buerti at Money.com: The "24-Hour Rule" That Keeps Retirees From Blowing Their Savings on Impulse Buys   Connect with Benjamin Brandt: Subscribe to the This Week in Retirement: http://thisweekinretirement.com Get the Retire-Ready Toolkit: http://retirementstartstodayradio.com Work with Benjamin: https://retirementstartstoday.com/start Get the book!Retirement Starts Today: Your Non-financial Guide to an Even Better Retirement Follow Retirement Starts Today in:Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Amazon Music, or iHeart
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  Sorry, Your Kids Don't Want Your Stuff 04.05.2026 16min

  Imagine having 10 overstuffed boxes of grandma's collections in your living room. That's the story that leads our show from a couple in Florida who received these items as hand-me-downs from a boomer parent trying to clear them out. The article features estate specialist Julie Hall, who says Millennials don't want painted china or antique furniture — they want Pottery Barn and IKEA. When Hall asked her own daughter what she'd want from her house, the answer was, "Just the jewelry". Hall's takeaway? That response gave her permission to let go.  We discuss this growing issue in our headline segment before answering a listener's question: "Do you have any advice on giving money to adult children while still living? Giving them some of their inheritance while they are younger and need money more than later in their life when my husband and I pass away." Then we wrap it up with a retired pastor who spends his time diving into a reef tank full of sharks at the Toledo Zoo in our "Retire To Something" segment. Resource: Article by Richard Eisenberg: Sorry, Your Kids Don't Want Your Stuff or Your Parents' Stuff    Connect with Benjamin Brandt: Subscribe to the This Week in Retirement: http://thisweekinretirement.com Get the Retire-Ready Toolkit: http://retirementstartstodayradio.com Work with Benjamin: https://retirementstartstoday.com/start Get the book!Retirement Starts Today: Your Non-financial Guide to an Even Better Retirement Follow Retirement Starts Today in:Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Amazon Music, or iHeart