Welcome to This Week in Retirement

After 400+ weeks of Every Day is Saturday, we’ve pivoted to a new newsletter format.

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

​When It’s Worth Paying Up for Funds, and When It’s Not​ - Morning Star

Mutual funds and ETFs make diversification easy, but their fees vary widely. Ptak argues that higher costs can be worth it when a fund simplifies decisions, reduces behavioral mistakes, or provides access that’s hard to replicate cheaply—such as target-date funds or certain specialized ETFs. In other cases, like covered-call or some private-market funds, the benefits may not justify the expense. The bottom line: higher fees should be paid intentionally, only when they clearly solve a real investor problem.

​The Myth of the Stock-Picker’s Market - Morning Star​

When markets stall or decline, investors are often tempted to abandon index funds in favor of active managers or stock picking. Arnott’s analysis shows that while active funds do slightly better during so-called “stock-picker’s markets,” the advantage is weak and inconsistent—and may partly reflect cash holdings rather than skill. Since these periods are hard to identify in advance and higher fees can erode returns, the evidence still favors sticking with index strategies over time.

📺 Best in YouTube

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​Why Saving Over $1.5M for Retirement is a Huge Mistake- Ben Brandt​

In this Even Better Retirement video, Ben Brandt explains that chasing a big number like $1.5M can backfire. Many savers overshoot what they actually need, creating higher taxes, IRMAA surcharges, and forced withdrawals—while sacrificing time and experiences along the way. The takeaway: retirement isn’t about maximizing savings, it’s about optimizing after-tax income, flexibility, and the confidence to actually enjoy your money.

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​“Stop Worrying About Healthcare Pre-65” - Early Retiree Reveals All- Ari Taublieb​

In this episode of Retirement Reality, Melody shares how she designed a life focused on calm rather than constant pressure—choosing time over income, flexible spending guardrails over rigid rules, and paying off her mortgage for peace of mind. She also explains how that choice made affordable healthcare possible before 65. Her story is a powerful reminder that retirement isn’t about perfection—it’s about aligning your money with the life you actually want to live.

🎧 Best in Audio (Podcasts)

Planning for Single Retirees — Part 3: Tax Planning and Roth Conversions- Big Picture Retirement

This episode explains why taxes behave differently when there's only one tax bracket, no spousal coordination, and no survivor window to clean things up later. it discusses why IRMAA thresholds hit sooner for single filers and how small income decisions can have outsized consequences. They will walk through a simple framework that focuses on understanding your income baseline, where your assets are held, how Medicare premiums factor into tax decisions, and why time horizon matters more when there's only one lifetime to plan around.

​Spotify | Apple Podcasts​

Why Are You Still Working? - Retirement Starts Today

In Why Are You Still Working?, Ben Brandt breaks down an article by Andrew Rosen from Kiplinger that looks at retirement through the lens of motivation rather than money. Rosen outlines five common reasons people keep working—from necessity to fear to simple inertia—and introduces first-principles thinking as a way to gain clarity. The episode also answers a listener question about delaying a first RMD and the tax impact of taking two distributions in one year.

​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

That’s it for the inaugural issue of This Week in Retirement, what do you think? Simply reply to this email to share your feedback.

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 #7 of This Week in Retirement,

Ben Brandt