"One free lunch, please." Why Buffered ETFs might not fit the bill. episode artwork

EPISODE · Nov 3, 2025 · 20 MIN

"One free lunch, please." Why Buffered ETFs might not fit the bill.

from Retirement Starts Today

If something promises higher returns, it comes with higher risk — even if that risk isn't easy to see. And if something promises to protect your downside, it's usually charging you for it through fees, limited upside, or long-term lockups. Today's headline from Ben Henry-Moreland fits that idea perfectly. "Why 'Downside Protection' ETFs Don't Protect Portfolios As Well As A Stock-Bond Mix (In The Long Term)".  After that, I'll answer a listener question about taxes & avoiding underpayment penalties from a surprise inheritance. Should they make an extra quarterly payment to the IRS to avoid penalties, or is there a smarter way to handle it? I'll explain how the safe-harbor rules work, and why a simple IRA-withholding trick can sometimes do the same job even better.  Resource: Article by Ben Henry-Moreland on Kitces.com: Why "Downside Protection" ETFs Don't Protect Portfolios As Well As A Stock-Bond Mix (In The Long Term) Connect with Benjamin Brandt Get the Retire-Ready Toolkit: http://retirementstartstodayradio.com Subscribe to the newsletter: https://retirementstartstodayradio.com/newsletter Work with Benjamin: https://retirementstartstoday.com/start Follow Retirement Starts Today in:Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Amazon Music, or iHeart Get the book!Retirement Starts Today: Your Non-financial Guide to an Even Better Retirement  

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Nov 3, 2025

Embed this episode

NOW PLAYING

"One free lunch, please." Why Buffered ETFs might not fit the bill.

0:00 20:32

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Retirement Starts Today?

This episode is 20 minutes long.

When was this Retirement Starts Today episode published?

This episode was published on November 3, 2025.

Can I download this Retirement Starts Today episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.
URL copied to clipboard!