Retirement Starts Today

By Benjamin Brandt CFP®, RICP®

Business Investing

What's Retirement Starts Today about?

Do you want to spend more money in retirement, while paying less taxes? 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 "Every Day is Saturday" weekly newsletter for show notes, free book giveaways and other great retirement content: www.retirementstartstodayradio.com/newsletter

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LAST EPISODE

A Few Simple Tricks Turn Hu...

12.04.2023

Do you have an HSA? If so, do you simply use it to pay for your medical expenses? Or do you use it as a way to build your wealth? Today we’ll look at an article from Financial Advisor Magazine ...

Retirement Starts Today episodes:

12.04.2023 A Few Simple Tricks Turn Humble HSAs Into Wealth Builders [Rebroadcast] Do you have an HSA? If so, do you simply use it to pay for your medical expenses? Or do you use it as a way to build your wealth? Today we’ll look at an article from Financial Advisor Magazine ...
11.27.2023 The Puzzling Gap Between How Old You Are and How Old You Think You Are [Rebroadcast] We are spending some extra time off from the podcast over this holiday season to spend time with family. I hope you're using this opportunity to spend some time with family as well. I've gone through my favorite episodes of ...
11.20.2023 Spend Your Principal! Ep #323 Most people are worried about spending too much and running out of money in retirement. However, few people worry about spending too little. In this week’s episode of Retirement Starts Today, you’ll learn why you should spend your principal in ...
11.16.2023 Only through November 20th... Hey podcast listeners. I just wanted to jump into your podcast feed here really quickly and give you an update on the new project we're working on where our firm is taking on new clients. The plan was to leave ...
11.13.2023 Boost Your Retirement Confidence by 17% with One Simple Trick, Ep #322 Would you like to have more confidence in your retirement plan? In the retirement headlines segment, you’ll learn one simple way to increase your certainty about what you can accomplish in retirement. In the listener questions segment, Bret helps answer ...
11.06.2023 5 Alternatives To The 4% Retirement Withdrawal Rule, Ep #321 Do you wish you had more optionality when it comes to designing your retirement? In this episode of Retirement Starts Today, we’ll explore an article from Forbes that poses five alternatives to the 4% rule that you may want to ...
10.30.2023 I Saved Too Much for Retirement, Ep # 320 What happens if you get to retirement age and realize that you saved too much? Believe it or not, this does happen and has its own set of problems. In this episode, we’ll explore those problems along with some potential ...
10.23.2023 Bad Timing Cost Fund Investors 17% Ep #319 Would you like to make $170,000? On this episode, you’ll learn what you can do to save yourself 17% in lower returns over a decade. On a million-dollar portfolio that comes to $170,000! In the Retirement Headline segment, we’ll dive ...
10.16.2023 Ways to Use Home Equity in Retirement, Ep #318 Have you thought about using your home’s equity to help you fund a portion of your retirement? In this episode of Retirement Starts Today, we’ll explore a Morningstar article that examines ways to use this supersized emergency fund. If you ...
10.09.2023 Plan on Living to 100, Ep # 317 Do you remember when you were a kid and were fascinated by the thought of living to be 100? It seemed like such a far-fetched idea, but now with advances in technology, nutrition, and medicine, this far-flung notion increasingly seems ...
10.02.2023 Traveling After 65 with Danielle Roberts from Boomer Benefits, Ep #316 Medicare’s open enrollment is starting soon, so I’ve invited Danielle Roberts from Boomer Benefits to join me today. In this episode, we’re discussing what’s new with Medicare in 2024, the important dates to remember for open enrollment, when to reevaluate ...
09.25.2023 401K Millionaires are Back! Ep # 315 As retirement super savers, you all know that slow and steady wins the race. According to this Wall Street Journal article, that race is paying off again for many Americans. In the retirement headlines segment, we’ll take a look at ...
09.18.2023 The Problems with Monte Carlo Are in Your Mind, Ep #314 Even if you aren’t familiar with Monte Carlo analyses, you’ve probably used it. Monte Carlo drives math behind the retirement planning software that you use. Monte Carlo software is truly amazing, however, the way people look at it is wrong. ...
09.11.2023 Why Are the Notes Found in Aretha Franklin’s Couch a Valid Will? Ep #313 Aretha Franklin can teach you more than a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T. On this episode of Retirement Starts Today, you’ll learn from her estate plan (or lack thereof). After hearing about this estate plan gone haywire Bret and I will team up ...
09.04.2023 Overdoing Delayed Gratification, Ep #312 Here at Retirement Starts Today, we are always looking for ways to teach you how to spend more money so that you can enjoy an even better retirement. However, many times our clients and listeners have trouble loosening their purse ...
08.28.2023 7 Tips to Maintain a Sense of Purpose in Retirement, Ep #311 I’ve always said that it’s important to retire to something rather than away from something. To do that means finding a sense of purpose. In this episode, we’ll explore an article from PhysicianOnFIRE.com that discusses how retirees can discover and ...
08.21.2023 How to Pay 0% on Capital Gains, Ep #310 Would a 0% tax rate help you live an even better retirement? In this week’s Retirement Headline, we’ll explore a WSJ article titled How You Can Grab a 0% Tax Rate. If that doesn’t pique your interest, I don’t know ...
08.14.2023 Dirty Dozen Tax Scams, Ep #309 Scammers are constantly changing their playbooks to try and stay ahead of the authorities. That is why the IRS annually updates its “Dirty Dozen Tax Scam” list. This week we’ll explore the latest article from the IRS on this year’s ...
08.07.2023 Should We Even Worry About IRMAA? Ep #308 As a financial advisor that thinks a lot about the Medicare surcharge IRMAA, an article titled Stop Worrying About IRMAA written by a source I trust certainly caught my eye. In this episode, we’ll explore what IRMAA does, reflect on ...
07.31.2023 The Most Powerful Way to Live Longer? Ep #307 Who wants to live longer? I know I do! Before you start taking magic pills and seeking the fountain of youth in an effort to increase your life span, Alex Janin from the Wall Street Journal suggests you start exercising. ...
07.24.2023 3 Tricks to Help Retirees Spend More, Ep #306 If you have diligently saved throughout your career, you may be ready to retire, yet still feel uncertain about spending your savings. To truly live your best life in retirement you need to learn how to shift from a saving ...
07.17.2023 The #1 Retirement Challenge That No One Talks About, Ep #305 If you are new to the show, welcome! This is a place where we talk about how to spend more money, pay less taxes, and have an even better retirement. Today we’re investigating that last part–the even better retirement. In ...
07.10.2023 Your Brain Has Tricked You Into Thinking Everything Is Worse, Ep # 304 Do you long for a lost golden age when everything was better? If you do you’re not alone. Many people feel that society is experiencing a moral decline. But is that really true? On this episode of Retirement Starts Today, ...
07.03.2023 Your Future (Retired) Self, Ep #303 If you want an amazing retirement you need to start thinking about your future self. We discussed the idea of your future self on a previous episode where I interviewed my coach, Dr. Benjamin Hardy. In this episode, we’re taking ...
07.01.2023 EP #300 Celebration! (HUGE discount on Retirement Income University) Happy 4th of July weekend!! Can you believe the podcast that started as a crazy experiment on my kitchen counter in the fall of 2015 is now over 300 episodes?! Thank you for all your support over these many years. ...
06.26.2023 12 Reasons to Rent in Retirement, Ep #302 One of the greatest financial assumptions is that it’s always better to own than to rent. However, in retirement, this may not be true. Once you are financially independent it is important to realize that not every dollar you spend ...
06.19.2023 The Power of Semi-Retirement and Work-Life Balance, Ep #301 Have you considered working part-time in retirement? A growing number of older adults are choosing to continue work even after reaching retirement age. While some continue work due to financial necessity, many choose work that offers fulfillment and enjoyment. In ...
06.12.2023 $300 Gym Bag, Ep # 300 If you clicked on this title you may be wondering what a $300 gym bag has to do with retirement. Well, this podcast focuses on learning how to spend more money and pay less taxes to set yourself up for ...
06.05.2023 Retirement Mastermind Groups, Ep #299 Have you ever considered joining a retirement mastermind group? Many of us choose mastermind groups to further our careers, businesses, or other areas of our lives, but few think to create one for retirement planning. Today, we’ll focus this entire ...
05.29.2023 Rich People Unsatisfied with Their Wealth, Ep #298 Have you ever thought about how much money you need to be truly happy? If so, you’re not alone. And chances are that number is elusive. In today’s Retirement Headline segment, we’ll check out an article from The Atlantic called ...
05.22.2023 A Comparison of Variable Spending Strategies, Ep # 297 If you have found this podcast you’re probably interested in spending more money, spending less in taxes, and making life even better in retirement. On this episode of Retirement Starts Today, we’re taking a look at how to spend more ...
05.15.2023 My Kids Don’t Want My Stuff - Lessons in Estate Planning Part 2, Ep # 296 Welcome back to the second part of our lessons in estate planning. Bret and I recently reviewed all of our clients’ estate plans and in doing so, we learned a lot from this exercise that could help you and your ...
05.08.2023 How Could This Go Horribly Wrong? Lessons in Estate Planning Part 1, Ep #295 Bret and I recently reviewed all of our clients’ estate plans this spring and, as a result, we have so much to share with you about what we learned. It was so much that we had to break it into ...
05.01.2023 The Puzzling Gap Between How Old You Are and How Old You Think You Are, Ep #294 Do you ever get together with your friends from high school and wonder why they all look so old? Are you surprised by the image that you see in the mirror each morning? If so, you’re not alone. In today’s ...
04.24.2023 50% of Americans Stopped Saving Last Year! Ep #293 Have you made any changes to your retirement savings due to the poor economy? If you did, you’re not alone. According to a Financial-Planning.com article, half of America stopped saving for retirement last year. Don’t miss hearing why this is ...
04.17.2023 Early Retirement Can Accelerate Cognitive Decline, Ep # 292 You may be excited to jump on the early retirement bandwagon, but before you do, listen to this episode. In our retirement headlines segment, we explore a peer-reviewed article that shows that early retirement can accelerate cognitive decline. Stay tuned ...
04.10.2023 Conference Breakdown, Ep #291 Many DIY investors would like to learn more about the latest changes in financial and tax laws but don’t have the same opportunities to attend professional financial conferences. The good news is that Bret and I do have these opportunities, ...
04.03.2023 Monte Carlo Failures Aren’t Plane Crashes, Ep #290 Have you ever used a Monte Carlo analysis to help you plan retirement? If so, the results can seem scary. You may be looking for a 100% likelihood of success so that you can rest easy–after all, you are probably ...
03.27.2023 Conversations about “Guardrails,” Ep #289 We talk about retirement income guardrails a lot on this show, but today we’ll go into greater depth while exploring an article from Kitces.com. This article was written by a mentor of mine and takes an advisor’s perspective on how ...
03.20.2023 Delaying Taxes in Retirement Isn’t Always Best, Award-Winning Paper Shows, Ep #288 Do you want to know how you can fully utilize your biggest advantage over the IRS? Listen to this episode to find out. Today, we explore a ThinkAdvisor.com article that turns traditional retirement tax thinking on its head. Then, Bret ...
03.13.2023 A Few Simple Tricks Turn Humble HSAs Into Wealth Builders, Ep # 287 Do you have an HSA? If so, do you simply use it to pay for your medical expenses? Or do you use it as a way to build your wealth? Today we’ll look at an article from Financial Advisor Magazine ...
03.06.2023 Couples Who Combine Finances Are Happier. So Why Don’t More Do It? Ep #286 Do you combine your finances with your partner? If you do, chances are that you might be happier. In this episode of Retirement Starts Today, we’ll explore a WSJ article written by Julia Carpenter titled Couples Who Combine Finances Are ...
02.27.2023 How to Give Your Parents Advice That They Will Actually Listen To, Ep # 285 Giving advice to your parents can be a challenge both for you and for them. However, there comes a time when the roles reverse and our parents may need to hear our practical advice. If you have been wondering how ...
02.20.2023 Investing in Yourself - An Interview with Fritz Gilbert - The Retirement Manifesto, Ep # 284 Investing in yourself is a great way to invest in your retirement. You may know Fritz Gilbert from the Retirement Manifesto blog or you may even have read his book, Keys to a Successful Retirement. What you may not know ...
02.13.2023 Early Filers Should Wait to Submit Their Tax Return in 2023, the IRS Warns, Ep #283 Do you typically like to get your taxes done early? Before you rush out to submit your tax return, listen to this episode to hear why you might want to wait. In this episode, we’ll explore a CNBC article by ...
02.06.2023 Raise Your Healthy Deserve Level – an Interview with Gary Kadi, Ep #282 I’m so excited to bring you this interview with Gary Kadi. Gary is the author of one of the best books I read in 2022, Raise Your Healthy Deserve Level. I call this an accidental retirement book because although it ...
01.30.2023 The Housing Crisis You Didn’t See Coming, Ep #281 Many people are concerned that rising interest rates will eventually crash the housing market. Future retirees can become overly worried about the housing market since the value of their homes plays a huge role in their retirement plans. This is ...
01.23.2023 What Old Age Might Be Like for Today’s 30-Year-Olds, Ep #280 Have you ever thought about what the future might be like for your children and grandchildren? In this week’s retirement headline, we’ll explore a Wall Street Journal article called What Old Age Might Be Like for Today’s 30-Year-Olds. During the ...
01.16.2023 Breaking News - Secure Act 2.0, Ep #279 Welcome back to Retirement Starts Today Radio! Today we have an extra special episode for two reasons. Today, you’ll finally meet our newest advisor, Bret Mulvaney. He joins me today to discuss the most recent legislation regarding tax and retirement ...
01.09.2023 Some $$ Now, More $$ Later, Ep #278 Do you ever wish you could sneak a peek into someone else’s retirement financial plan? Our retirement headline this week does just that. The article, Some Now More Later, takes a look into Richard Connor’s decision-making process as he examines ...

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