Retirement Starts Today

If you want to spend more money in retirement you'll want to understand how to maximize your Social Security benefits. Many people think that there is no going back once you've decided to collect your Social Security benefits. However, today's retirement headline discusses two options in case you'd like a do-over.

In our listener question segment, one listener asks the best way to pass on their assets to their children. Listen in to hear the answer and scroll to the bottom of the show notes to discover more estate planning resources.

• [2:02] What happens if you change your mind about collecting Social Security?
• [7:01] When exactly should you start Social Security?
• [10:50] The best way to pass assets onto your kids

• The Retirement Podcast Network
• Retirement Revealed podcast
• Financial Advisor Magazine article
• Estate planning episodes 295, 296, 124, 313, 255

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Tax season is here so when I found this article from Morning Star to share some tax tips for you. Your tax bill will be the largest bill you pay in retirement. If you want to reduce it, make sure to press play.

Helping clients save money on taxes and avoid common investment mistakes is an important task for financial planners. If you don't have a financial planner, that means you are your own financial planner, so you'll want to take good notes.

• [1:22] Maximizing tax savings
• [3:30] How to utilize deductions
• [7:45] How to utilize investment strategies
• [11:11] How to utilize Roth conversions
• [13:32] How to know how much to safely spend and how to know if I'm spending too much?

• The Retirement Podcast Network
• Episode 331 - We Need to Talk About Your Retirement Spending
• Episode 332 - A Tax Break Worth the Hassle
• The Retirement Tax Podcast - the least boring tax podcast!
• Morningstar Article

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• Join the newsletter: https://retirementstartstodayradio.com/newsletter
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Some tax breaks aren't worth the hassle of pursuing them, however, today's example is definitely worth the hassle!

If you are charitably minded you'll want to listen to learn about the advantages of making qualified charitable distributions. Discover how to increase your standard deduction while enjoying charitable tax benefits.

Stick around for the listener question to hear a great way to start practicing spending your money when you have been over-flexing your savings muscle.

• [2:22] The power of qualified charitable distributions
• [5:56] How IRMAA thresholds work
• [7:27] Three key takeaways
• [12:41] How to convince your spouse that you have enough money to retire

• The Retirement Podcast Network

• Get the Retire-Ready Toolkit:http://retirementstartstodayradio.com/
• Follow Ben on Twitter:https://twitter.com/retiremeasap
• Join the newsletter: https://retirementstartstodayradio.com/newsletter
• Dive deeper into retirement planning with Ben at www.RetirementIncome.University

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Planning retirement spending is tough to do since there are so many unknowns. Many people tend to take a fear-based approach and rely on the 4% rule. Some even take a step further and spend less of their nest egg.

Today's Retirement Headline urges you to take a different approach. Listen in to hear what the article advises and my thoughts on the matter. Then stick around for the listener question to learn how our national macroeconomic situation affects financial planning.

• [1:22] Rethink underspending in retirement
• [5:01] My thoughts on the article
• [10:12] How does our national macroeconomic situation affect financial planning?

• The Retirement Podcast Network
• The Morning Star article
• BOOK - More than Enough by Dave Ramsey
• BOOK - Die with Zeroby Bill Perkins

• Get the Retire-Ready Toolkit:http://retirementstartstodayradio.com/
• Follow Ben on Twitter:https://twitter.com/retiremeasap
• Join the newsletter: https://retirementstartstodayradio.com/newsletter
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I don't know about you, but I want to stay active and healthy for as long as possible. That's why when I saw this Forbes article I knew I wanted to share it with you.

If you want to learn how to age gracefully and maintain your vitality, you won't miss this episode. Then, stick around to hear my answer to the question: why do some people have a hard time with retirement?

• [1:24] How to age gracefully and maintain vitality
• [4:20] Embrace interdependence
• [9:55] Why do some people have a hard time with retirement?

• The Retirement Podcast Network
• Forbes article
• Dexa body scan
• InBody body scan

• Get the Retire-Ready Toolkit:http://retirementstartstodayradio.com/
• Follow Ben on Twitter:https://twitter.com/retiremeasap
• Join the newsletter: https://retirementstartstodayradio.com/newsletter
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As you probably know by now, Bret and I are here to help you spend more money and spend less in taxes so that you can live an even better life in retirement.

This week we're helping you do that by sharing some lessons that we learned from our clients' fall tax meetings. If you enjoyed our Lessons in Estate Planning episodes last spring, you'll love hearing what we learned from our clients this fall. Press play to hear what you can learn from our experience with our clients.

• [1:42] Why we love Roth conversions
• [10:40] Don't forget to plan for taxes as a widow/er

• How Could This Go Horribly Wrong? Lessons in Estate Planning Part 1, Ep #295
• My Kids Don't Want My Stuff – Lessons in Estate Planning Part 2, Ep # 296

• Get the Retire-Ready Toolkit:http://retirementstartstodayradio.com/
• Follow Ben on Twitter:https://twitter.com/retiremeasap
• Join the newsletter: https://retirementstartstodayradio.com/newsletter
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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 what will!

Listen in to hear how you can learn to plan so that you can take advantage of a 0% tax rate on capital gains income.

This episode originally aired in August 2023.

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 mindset to a spending mindset. In this episode of Retirement Starts Today, we'll help you do just that.

This episode was first broadcast in July 2023.

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 needs to yield a return.

Join me for this episode of Retirement Starts Today to question traditional thinking and to see how you can improve your life, spend more money, and have more fun in retirement.

This episode was first broadcast in June 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 that will help us identify opportunities for wealth creation.

Listen in to learn how to maximize the triple benefit of the humble HSA.

This episode was first broadcast in March 2023.