Rephonic
Artwork for Retirement Starts Today

Retirement Starts Today

Benjamin Brandt CFP®, RICP®
Retirement Planning
Social Security
Retirement
Financial Planning
Financial Independence
Retirement Spending
Tax Planning
Roth Conversions
Inflation
4% Rule
Medicare
Investment Strategies
Stock Market
Retirement Income
Taxes
Tax Strategies
Required Minimum Distributions
Estate Planning
Annuities
Retirement Savings

Do you want to spend more money in retirement, while paying less taxes? Great news, you're in the right place! I'll also teach you the benefits of retiring TO something, while most retirees only solve half the equation by retiring FROM something. Tune in every Monday morning - hosted by Benjamin Brandt CFP, RICP. Join my "Every Day is Saturday" weekly newsletter for show notes, free book giveaways... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes404Founded11 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
InvestingBusinessEducation

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Retirement Starts Today

Latest Episodes

You've heard it said a hundred times: Spend the money, make the memories, don't die with regret.

However, for certain kinds of retirees, dying as the richest person in the graveyard isn't a tragedy at all. The comfort of simply having the money ca... more

If you want to spend more at the beginning of retirement, which withdrawal strategies actually let you do that? This week's Retirement Headline from Amy C. Arnott called "The Best Strategies for Boosting Starting Withdrawal Rates in Retirement" answe... more

Imagine a lifetime spent diligently saving your acorns, only to face a mental roadblock when it's time to enjoy them. Dana Anspach, CFP®, RMA®, and author of "Living Off Your Acorns," shares how this common challenge impacts retirees and introduces t... more

What happens when you reach financial independence by paying off a low interest rate mortgage early? Or being renter instead of buying a home and growing equity? I'll explain why hitting that milestone earns you the right to ignore some of the most s... more

Key Facts

Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Retirement Answer Man
Retirement Answer ManRoger Whitney, CFP®, CIMA®, RMA, CPWA®
Stay Wealthy Retirement Podcast
Stay Wealthy Retirement PodcastTaylor Schulte, CFP®
Ready For Retirement
Ready For RetirementJames Conole, CFP®
Big Picture Retirement®
Big Picture Retirement®Devin Carroll, CFP® & John Ross, JD

Recent Guests

Dana Anspach
Author of Living Off Your Acorns; Retirement Made Simple
Retirement Made Simple
Episode: How Super-Savers Spend Their Acorns in Retirement, with Dana Anspach
Mary Wrightson
Lifelong supersaver from Kansas who shared her retirement story
Listener featured in Retire-to-Something segment
Episode: The "24-Hour Rule" That Keeps Retirees From Blowing Their Savings
Marian Barry
Former cardiac nurse who now lives as a work camper.
Episode: Live on $2,972 monthly in an RV
Bill Bengen
Pioneer of the 4% Rule for retirement withdrawals
Episode: The Father of the 4% Rule - an Interview with Bill Bengen
Jeremy Keil
Retirement podcaster, author, and financial advisor
Retirement Revealed Podcast, Mr. Retirement YouTube channel
Episode: Top 3 Retirement Mistakes - An Interview with Mr Retirement, Ep #392
Dr. Daniel Crosby
Author and psychologist focusing on financial behaviors and retirement well-being
Author of The Soul of Wealth
Episode: The 5 Pillars of a Fulfilling Retirement (That Nobody Talks About) with Dr. Daniel Crosby, Ep #388
Joe Curry
Host of the Your Retirement Planning Simplified Podcast
Episode: For Canadian Eyes Only (bonus episode!)
Joe Saul-Sehy
Co-host of the Stacking Benjamins podcast and financial advisor with over 16 years of experience
Stacking Benjamins
Episode: Joe Saul-Sehy Shares How to Get the Most from Your Employee Benefits, Ep 386
Peter Lazaroff
Chief Investment Officer of PlanCorp
PlanCorp
Episode: Peter Lazaroff's Options for Reducing Taxes on Deferred Gains Pre-Retirement, Ep #385

Host

Benjamin Brandt
Host of the show; CFP, RICP; focuses on retirement planning and retire-to-something philosophy.

Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars from 565 ratings
  • I don’t recommend this firm

    Contacted his firm through his website and my contact info was sent to another company. Called the customer service number to find out why my contact information was forwarded to a different company and person. Who knows maybe it’s a scam- maybe he is not accepting new clients. Never heard back. At minimum I should have received a call back or explanation as to why my contact information was forwarded to an unaffiliated company. Poor customer service in my opinion. I won’t be contacting them aga... more

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Johnc737
    United Statesa month ago
  • Absolutely invaluable information

    Hoping that the target audience for this podcast extends beyond super savers. As the offspring of super savers I promise you that they get a lot of things wrong. Life is too unpredictable to be obsessive about saving. I appreciate the information in this podcast so much. I strike a balance between just enjoying life and saving for the future.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    leftheartSF
    United Statesa month ago
  • Retirement can be great

    I’m a small time investor. My brother shared this with my family, don’t know if anyone else listens or not. I listen to several podcasts a year but every time I come away with something new and insightful. Best advice I can offer is stop trying to invest on your own and hire a good fiduciary investor, but be careful not everyone who says they are a fiduciary will really look out for you, and don’t be afraid to find someone else if you need to. Always keep an eye on your financial situation a... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    bobjul
    United States3 months ago
  • Learn how to retire well!

    Benjamin teaches you all the financial and non-financial things you need to know to retire well.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Jeremy Keil
    United States7 months ago
  • PLEASE stop adding the word "right" at the end of your sentences. Sept 8th episode was really bad. Terrible vocal crutch.

    Podcast Addict
    2
    BOBO
    9 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Audience notes the mix of financial insights and real-life retirement stories is highly engaging.
Listeners find the host's approach actionable and down-to-earth.
The show is valued as a reliable, data-driven retirement resource.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#110
United States/Business/Investing
Apple Podcasts
#229
China/Business/Investing
Apple Podcasts
#246
India/Business/Investing

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

The Best Strategies for Boosting Starting Withdrawal Rates in Retirement
Q: Do you think a retiree is generally out of the woods with good returns both five years before and five years after their actual retirement?
Yes, the consensus is that sequence of returns risk is heavily concentrated around the 10-year window centered on retirement, and after that period the math becomes friendlier, allowing for higher withdrawals with guardrails.
The "24-Hour Rule" That Keeps Retirees From Blowing Their Savings
Q: So a listener writes in, how do I switch from saving for decades to a spending mindset?
The host suggests a mental model where you acknowledge the identity shift from a lifelong saver to a spender by using a framework (half for me, half for you) and experimenting with controlled, pre-budgeted spending while gathering data on what actually brings joy.
The Retirement Risk Zone
Q: Frank writes, I plan to delay taking social security, and I assume many others are planning to do so as well. A lot of withdrawal strategies revolve around taking a fixed or slightly adjusted amount from your retirement accounts each year, but seems to me that one would want to make larger withdrawals in their 60s to fund go-go years and then lower withdrawals in their 70s.
The idea is that the withdrawal rate in your 60s can be temporarily higher when you're delaying Social Security, but as you approach 70, delayed retirement credits reduce your dependence on portfolio withdrawals and your overall withdrawal rate drops, enabling a smoother transition with less risk.
Will Surging Oil Prices Crash the Market?
Q: I've got a question for you about how you consider using bonds versus annuities with or without income riders for generating income in retirement.
The host explains that while he doesn't broadly endorse annuities, each product has a purpose. He distinguishes between short-term annuities (like MAGAs) that can function similarly to bonds and longer-term products with income riders, cautioning that many quotes of high guaranteed payouts can be misleading because they reflect payments based on a base balance rather than a true rate of return. He emphasizes using annuities selectively as part of a diversified strategy, often preferring tools that maximize flexibility and true control over retirement runway.
The Hidden Cost Of Investment Income
Q: Are brokerage account gains subject to taxes before the money is withdrawn?
Gains in a taxable brokerage account are not taxed until you realize them by selling; unrealized gains are not taxed, while realized gains incur capital gains taxes, with long-term rates generally more favorable and subject to netting with losses.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Retirement Starts Today

What is Retirement Starts Today about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A practical, multifaceted look at retirement that blends financial planning with meaning-driven living. Episodes frequently cover spending strategies, tax planning, Social Security optimization, and real-world retire-to-something stories from guests and audience members. The host translates complex concepts into actionable steps, often pairing data-driven advice with relatable retiree experiences, listener questions, and guest segments to illustrate how people pursue purpose after work. Noteworthy are concise, 15-minute formats, a steady rhythm of listener Q&As, and a recurring focus on aligning money with lifestyle goals beyond traditional saving alone.

Where can I find podcast stats for Retirement Starts Today?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Retirement Starts Today. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Retirement Starts Today and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Retirement Starts Today get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Retirement Starts Today, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Retirement Starts Today?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Retirement Starts Today, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Retirement Starts Today have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Retirement Starts Today has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Retirement Starts Today?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Retirement Starts Today:

1. Retirement Answer Man
2. Stay Wealthy Retirement Podcast
3. Ready For Retirement
4. Sound Retirement Radio
5. Big Picture Retirement®

How many episodes of Retirement Starts Today are there?

Retirement Starts Today launched 11 years ago and published 404 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Retirement Starts Today?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Retirement Starts Today?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Retirement Starts Today from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Retirement Starts Today?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Retirement Starts Today. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Retirement Starts Today?

Recent guests on Retirement Starts Today include:

1. Dana Anspach
2. Mary Wrightson
3. Marian Barry
4. Bill Bengen
5. Jeremy Keil
6. Dr. Daniel Crosby
7. Joe Curry
8. Joe Saul-Sehy

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days