Don records this Q&A episode a bit early—right before heart surgery—to make sure listeners don’t miss their Friday dose. He kicks off with a listener confused by a boilerplate $50 foreign stock fee warning on a Fidelity Zero fund (spoiler: it doesn’t apply). Another caller is teetering on the edge of retirement viability with $500K, pensions, and Social Security—Don offers honest thoughts on withdrawal flexibility and why waiting on SSI might be wise. Then comes a takedown of Wealthfront’s direct indexing for small investors (aka “gimmickry”), a nuanced answer about annuitizing a pension vs. taking the lump sum, and finally, a nearly microscopic comparison of IXUS vs. VEU for international exposure. Birds chirp, bells ring, and Don reminds everyone that free help is just a click away

0:05 Early episode recording—Don preps for heart surgery
2:07 Fidelity Zero fund confusion over $50 foreign stock disclosure
5:40 Can I retire with $500K, two pensions, and a 60/40 Roth portfolio?
9:07 Is Wealthfront’s direct indexing portfolio worth it at $20K?
12:46 Should I annuitize my pension or take the lump sum?
15:30 IXUS vs. VEU for international diversification—does it matter?

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