Good morning, Retirement Starts Today Community! Welcome to Every Day is Saturday, the newsletter reminding us that in retirement, every day is Saturday (including Thursday mornings).

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Episode Breakdown:

The Danger of Inflammatory Social Security Headlines
(0:00) Why financial media doesn’t always have your best interests at heart
(6:55) Breaking down the misleading “$18,000 cut” claim
(18:45) Why claiming early out of fear can backfire
(25:20) How to be a “Prudent Pessimist” instead of a panicked one
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​Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple​

Retirement Headlines:

Don’t Let Headlines Hijack Your Retirement

This week, we’re taking a break from listener questions to focus entirely on retirement headlines—specifically, the scary ones.

I came across a piece that claimed:
​“Social Security recipients set to face an $18,000 benefit cut in just seven years.”

Sounds terrifying, right? Especially with a wrecking ball smashing through a Social Security card as the header image. But when we dig in, we find:

• The $18,000 figure only applies to a very specific, high-income couple (far above the average retiree).
• The actual Social Security Trustees Report projects a 19% cut in 2034—not a 24% cut in 2032.
• Even then, 81% of benefits are still funded, because Social Security is supported by payroll taxes.

The takeaway? This isn’t about imminent ruin. It’s about clicks. And if you let clickbait headlines drive your claiming decisions, you risk locking in permanent benefit cuts unnecessarily.

Instead, I introduce the idea of being a Prudent Pessimist:

• Acknowledge the risk.
• Plan for potential cuts.
• But don’t sabotage yourself by claiming early just because of fear.

Prepare for the downside—but don’t let it run your entire life.

Resources Mentioned

• ​Click here to order my book, Retirement Starts Today: Your non-financial guide to an even better retirement
• ​Click here to read, Social Security recipients set to face an $18,000 benefit cut in just seven years

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I need your help...

I will be starting a new segment on my podcast: Retire TO something, not FROM something.

The segment will be brief at the end of the show and will share a fun retirement idea, along with links to learn more. Volunteer work and part-time “fun” jobs will be a common theme.

​Click here to share your ideas!

That's it for our three hundred and ninety-seventh installment of "Every Day is Saturday." As always, I read (and usually reply to) every listener email. Got a question? Hit reply—you just might hear your name on the show.

Enjoy your “Saturday,”
​Benjamin Brandt

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