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

​Retirees: Should You Take RMDs Early in the Year or Wait?​

This article looks at whether retirees should take their Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) early in the year or wait until later. The core takeaway: from a long-term investment standpoint, timing usually doesn’t make a huge difference — markets are unpredictable, and spreading withdrawals throughout the year can reduce timing risk. But the decision can matter for practical reasons like cash flow needs, tax planning, Roth conversions, and avoiding last-minute mistakes. In other words, it’s less about trying to “time the market” and more about coordinating RMD timing with your broader tax and income strategy.

​Still Working in Retirement? Watch Out for These Social Security and Medicare Tax Traps​

This article is a reminder that if you’re still working in retirement, you need to be careful — because there are some real tax and benefit traps hiding in plain sight. Earning income can reduce your Social Security if you claim early, trigger higher Medicare premiums through IRMAA, and create unexpected tax surprises as more of your benefits become taxable.

The big takeaway isn’t “don’t work.” It’s that work income doesn’t exist in a vacuum — it interacts with Social Security, Medicare, and taxes. And if you don’t plan for those ripple effects, you can end up giving more back than you expected.

📺 Best in YouTube

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​Why Fully Funded Retirements Are Falling Apart- Kevin Lum

In this episode, Kevin highlights a different kind of retirement crisis — not running out of money, but running out of purpose. Even with solid finances, many retirees struggle with feeling unneeded. He introduces the idea of a “mattering span” — how long you continue to feel valued and relevant — and explains why it’s just as important as your health span and wealth span. The takeaway: retirement planning isn’t just about money, it’s about meaning.

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​I’m 62 With All Pre-Tax 401k - How Do I Minimize Retirement Taxes?-Ben Brandt

In this video, I discuss how retirees with large pre-tax 401(k) or IRA balances can avoid a "tax time bomb" caused by Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs). By using a case study, I illustrate how strategic Roth conversions in early retirement can lower a couple's lifetime tax bill by hundreds of thousands of dollars. The guide also highlights the importance of planning for the "widow’s tax" to protect a surviving spouse from being pushed into much higher tax brackets later in life.

🎧 Best in Audio (Podcasts)

Healthcare Before Medicare: Your Options- Retirement Answer Man

In this episode, Roger Whitney continues a multi-week series on planning health care if you retire before qualifying for Medicare, focusing on the real choices retirees face. He breaks down the main options for coverage before age 65 — including COBRA continuation, marketplace plans under the Affordable Care Act, using part-time work to get employer-sponsored benefits, and other alternatives — explaining how each works and what to watch out for. The episode also includes listener questions that touch on related retirement planning topics and ends with a prompt to rethink assumptions about health care timing and costs in your retirement plan.

​Spotify | Apple Podcasts​

Why a Stock Market Crash Won't Ruin Your Retirement (and What Actually Will)- Stay Wealthy Retirement Podcast

​Big rallies make people nervous — and so does the fear that one crash could undo decades of saving. Morningstar recently shared a chart covering nearly 100 years of market history, and when you zoom out, a few common beliefs about bull and bear markets start to fall apart. In this episode, Taylor unpacks three myths from the article and explain what the data actually says — including what’s far more likely to derail your retirement than a market crash.

​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 #9 of This Week in Retirement,

Ben Brandt