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

​Retirement planning shifts as older investors seek clarity, younger adults pursue aligned goals​​

The article says retirement planning is shifting beyond simply hitting “the number.” Investors near retirement want more clarity around how money supports purpose, health, family, travel, and daily life in retirement, while younger investors want to retire earlier and align their money with their values. The big takeaway: clients across generations want broader guidance, not just investment advice.

​Buffer ETFs vs. T-Bills: A Total Cost of Ownership Perspective​

The article compares 100% buffer ETFs with T-bills for money that has a short time horizon and can’t afford a big market loss. While buffer ETFs offer downside protection and some capped upside tied to the stock market, they also come with expenses, trading costs, complicated option pricing, and tax considerations. The author concludes that for investors who mainly need safety and certainty, T-bills may still be the cleaner choice because the return is known, the downside is minimal, and the potential extra upside from a buffer ETF may not be worth the added complexity and cost.

📺 Best in YouTube

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​I'm 60 with $3 Million Saved. Why Is It Impossible To Retire Today? Ben Brandt​

In this video I discuss how retiring at 60 with $3 million is financially secure if annual spending stays between $120,000 and $180,000. Anxiety usually stems from "sequence of returns risk"—the fear of an early market crash—and unbudgeted costs like tuition or weddings. To gain confidence, experts suggest stress-testing your portfolio through simulations, shifting to "low-drama" income streams like commercial real estate or diversified funds, and factoring in Social Security to ensure you enjoy your wealth while healthy.

​Why Smart Retirees Still Run Out of Money (It's Not What You Think) - Kevin Lum​

This video explains how what feels like a smart financial move in the moment can actually create unintended consequences later on. Kevin walks through how decisions around timing, taxes, and withdrawals can ripple through a retirement plan, often in ways people don’t expect. The key takeaway is that it’s not just about making good individual decisions—it’s about understanding how those decisions interact over time and building a plan that accounts for those trade-offs.

🎧 Best in Audio (Podcasts)

Sorry, Your Kids Don't Want Your Stuff - Retirement Starts Today/ Ben Brandt

Imagine having 10 overstuffed boxes of Grandma’s collections sitting in your living room. That’s the story that kicks off today’s episode: a Florida couple received boxes of hand-me-downs from a boomer parent who was trying to clear out a lifetime of belongings. We’ll discuss this growing issue in our Retirement Headlines segment before answering a listener question: “Do you have any advice on giving money to adult children while we’re still living? We’d like to give them part of their inheritance now, while they may need it more, instead of waiting until after my husband and I pass away.”

​Spotify | Apple Podcasts​

What 75 Year Old Retirees Regret Most - Big Picture Retirement

This episode of Big Picture Retirement is about the biggest regrets retirees often have by age 75, especially around waiting too long to enjoy life, not spending enough when they were healthier, neglecting health, failing to build hobbies or purpose, and not traveling more while they had the energy. The big message is that retirement planning should not just be about preserving money—it should also help people use their time, health, and resources intentionally before the best years pass by.

​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 #20 of This Week in Retirement,

Ben Brandt