Welcome to This Week in Retirement

The promise of This Week in Retirement:​
If you only have 15–30 minutes per week to dedicate to learning more about retirement planning, I’ve got you covered.

Retirement planning is both my job and my hobby. Every week, I read dozens of articles and watch or listen to hours of podcasts and YouTube videos.
​Every Thursday, I’ll share the best options from each category.

Pick a few. Skip the rest. You’re covered.

📰 Best in Retirement News

​68% Of Wealthy Investors Now Say Financial Advice Is Worth The Fee - Financial Advisor​​

More investors are starting to say financial advice is actually worth the fee—and that’s a shift. This article from Financial Advisor Magazine highlights that as markets get more complex and tax planning becomes a bigger part of the equation, people are recognizing the value goes beyond just picking investments. Investors who work with advisors report higher confidence, better discipline during volatility, and more clarity around things like retirement income, taxes, and estate planning. The big takeaway is that advice isn’t being judged purely on performance anymore—it’s about guidance, behavior, and helping people make better decisions over time.

​Your Active ETF Is Cheap, but Your Trade Might Not Be - Morning Star​

Active ETFs might look cheap on paper, but the real cost can show up when you actually trade them. This Morningstar article explains that many active ETFs have wider bid-ask spreads and lower trading volume, which can quietly eat into returns—especially compared to more liquid index ETFs. In other words, the expense ratio isn’t the full story. If you’re not careful with how and when you trade, those hidden costs can offset the benefit of the lower fee. The takeaway is simple: when evaluating ETFs, you need to look beyond the headline expense ratio and consider trading costs too.

📺 Best in YouTube

​The Most Accurate ROTH Conversion Strategy You’ve Never Been Taught - Ben Brandt​

In this video, I walk through how retirement planning decisions aren’t isolated—they’re connected, and changing one lever can impact everything else. I highlight how factors like taxes, withdrawal timing, and investment strategy all interact, sometimes creating unintended consequences if they’re handled in a vacuum. The main takeaway is that a coordinated, big-picture approach is far more effective than optimizing any single decision on its own.

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​What Retirees Regret Most at 75 (Avoid This) - Devin Carroll​

In this video, the main idea is that what looks simple on the surface in investing or retirement planning usually isn’t that simple once you dig in. The speaker walks through how small decisions—timing, taxes, and behavior—can have an outsized impact over time, even if they don’t seem like a big deal in the moment. It’s a good reminder that outcomes aren’t just driven by market returns, but by how you manage the details around them. The takeaway is that thoughtful planning and discipline tend to matter more than trying to outsmart the market.

🎧 Best in Audio (Podcasts)

You're Probably Looking at the Wrong Estate Tax - Big Picture Retirement

This episode breaks down how lesser-known taxes work, which states still impose them, and why they can catch even well-prepared retirees off guard. While many states have eliminated these taxes to keep retirees from leaving, there are still 12 states plus Washington, D.C. that have estate taxes, and five that have inheritance taxes. Maryland is the only state that has both.

​Spotify | Apple Podcasts​

Is Your Net Worth Lying to You? – 2026 Retirement Challenge Part 4 - Sound Retirement Radio

This episode discusses your net worth, a number that everyone has but very few really know what it is and even fewer people truly understand what it means when it comes to retirement. If you're already retired, this is still a valuable exercise to make sure your plan is on track. Each episode in this series focuses on one step you can take to determine whether you're ready to retire in 2026.

​Spotify | Apple Podcasts​

🧭 Other Business

Starting this year, I’m adding a short segment to the end of the podcast:

Retire TO something, not FROM something.

Each week, I’ll spotlight:

• Volunteer opportunities
• Part-time “fun” jobs
• Creative or meaningful ways people stay engaged in retirement

​Click here to share your ideas!

Additional resources:

​Click here to order my book, Retirement Starts Today: Your non-financial guide to an even better retirement

​Click here to get started on your retirement plan

Have a link you'd like to share with our audience? Reply with your best links & you might see them featured in an upcoming issue.

We'll see you next week for issue #17 of This Week in Retirement,

Ben Brandt