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).

I wanted to share something exciting: I’ve been quietly building a YouTube channel. You might be wondering—why didn’t I mention it sooner?

Simple: YouTube works best when the algorithm introduces your videos to people who are already browsing for that kind of content. It gives the channel a better shot at organic growth and reaching the right audience. Announcing it too early (especially before the algorithm has a chance to do its thing) can actually limit long-term performance.

Your support means the world! If you enjoy the content, please like, subscribe, and share your thoughts in the comments, it helps us grow and reach more people.

​Click here to view a recent video from my channel about The 59.5 Iceberg Most Retirees Don't See Coming.

​Click here to work with us!

Episode Breakdown:

• (0:00) Claim Social Security early & invest? The 6 obstacles you can’t ignore
• (18:45) Listener Question: 60/40 vs. alternatives (gold, REITs, Bitcoin, managed futures)
• (34:10) Practical Planning: Guardrails + Retirement Runway—boring portfolio, exciting retirement
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​Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple​

Retirement Headline

Claim early, invest the checks—can you “beat” delaying Social Security?

Morningstar’s Christine Benz and Social Security expert Mary Beth Franklin recently unpacked this strategy. My take: while tempting in theory, it runs into six big obstacles:

1. Permanent benefit reductions (and survivor cuts)
2. Extra tax drag
3. Lost growth + bigger COLAs
4. Short, risky investment horizon
5. Missed Roth conversion years (plus widow’s tax exposure)
6. Behavioral risk—can you stick with it in a downturn?

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Social Security is often the only guaranteed, inflation-adjusted lifetime income stream—making it too valuable to gamble with.

Listener Question

“Should retirees stick with 60/40—or add gold, REITs, Bitcoin, etc.?”

For my clients (and my own money), I keep it boring: globally diversified stocks + bonds. Here’s why:

• Opportunity Cost: Every % in shiny objects comes out of proven strategies.
• Risk Management: Behavior > products. Guardrails + 6–10 years of “retirement runway” in bonds/cash work better than chasing alternatives.
• Trust the Foundation: The best companies in the world adapt for us.
• Boring Portfolio → Exciting Life: Keep attention on retirement, not babysitting investments.

Practical Planning Corner

• Guardrails: Pre-set rules to raise/cut spending when your portfolio crosses thresholds.
• Runway: Multiply your monthly draw by the years you want “covered” (e.g., 7 years). That fixed-income cushion helps you ride out bear markets calmly.

Resources Mentioned

• ​Click here to view my YouTube channel, Even Better Retirement
• ​Click here to order my book, Retirement Starts Today: Your non-financial guide to an even better retirement
• ​Click here to read the Morning Star article, Does It Make Sense to File Early for Social Security and Invest in the Market?

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-eighth 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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