How to Start a Retirement Planning & 401(k) YouTube Channel (2026 Guide)

Retirement planning content attracts the most valuable advertising demographic on YouTube: working professionals ages 35-65 with disposable income.

Revenue metrics:
- CPM range: $30-$65 (financial advisors, brokerages, and insurance companies compete for this audience)
- Affiliate potential: IRA and brokerage account referrals ($50-$150 per funded account)
- Advisory services: If you're a CFP, channels become client acquisition machines
- Course revenue: Retirement planning courses sell at $197-$997 price points

Audience characteristics:
- Average age: 42 (higher purchasing power than most YouTube demographics)
- Above-average income and education levels
- Long watch times (retirement videos average 10-15 minutes)
- High trust requirements (viewers making life-impacting decisions)

Search demand:
- "401k explained" — 90K monthly searches
- "Roth IRA" — 200K+ monthly searches
- "How much to retire" — 110K monthly searches
- "Social Security" — 300K+ monthly searches

The audience is large, engaged, and desperate for clear answers about their financial future.

Retirement planning is broad. Here's where to focus.

401(k) and employer plan optimization (great starting point)
- How to choose investments in your 401(k)
- Employer match maximization strategies
- Traditional vs Roth 401(k) contribution decisions
- Target-date funds: when they make sense and when they don't
- Mega backdoor Roth conversions for high earners

IRA strategies (most searched)
- Roth vs Traditional IRA (the perennial debate with actual math)
- Backdoor Roth IRA for high earners
- IRA to Roth conversion ladders
- Self-directed IRAs for alternative investments

Social Security optimization (underserved, huge audience)
- When to claim: 62 vs 67 vs 70
- Spousal benefit strategies
- How Social Security is calculated
- Will Social Security be around when I retire?

FIRE movement content (passionate community)
- Financial Independence, Retire Early strategies
- Coast FIRE, Barista FIRE, and Lean FIRE variations
- Safe withdrawal rate debates (4% rule analysis)
- Early retirement healthcare solutions before Medicare

Retirement for specific groups:
- Military retirement (pension + TSP optimization)
- Teacher retirement (pension + 403(b))
- Late starters (catch-up contribution strategies for 50+)

Foundational content (create first):
1. "401(k) explained — everything you need to know in 15 minutes"
2. "Roth IRA vs Traditional IRA — the complete comparison with real math"
3. "How much do you need to retire? The actual formula"
4. "Social Security explained simply — how it works and what you'll get"
5. "The 4% rule — can you really retire on this?"

Calculator and scenario content (highest engagement):
6. "Can you retire at 55 on $1 million? Let's run the numbers"
7. "$500/month invested from age 25 vs 35 — the real difference"
8. "How to retire on a $60K salary — year-by-year plan"
9. "I have $200K in my 401(k) at 40 — am I on track?"

Timely content:
10. "2026 401(k) contribution limits — what changed and what to do"
11. "New Social Security COLA announced — what it means for retirees"
12. "IRS announces new IRA limits — max out strategy for 2026"

Shorts that convert:
13. "The 401(k) mistake costing you $100,000"
14. "Retire 10 years early with this one change"
15. "Your employer match is literally free money — here's why"

Retirement planning audiences are making decisions worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Trust is everything.

Credibility builders:
- Show your own retirement accounts and strategy (transparency is the fastest trust builder)
- Use actual calculations with specific numbers, not vague ranges
- Cite specific IRS rules, publication numbers, and contribution limits
- Acknowledge uncertainty honestly ("Nobody knows what the market will do, but historically...")
- When you don't know something, say so and recommend consulting a professional

What to avoid:
- Never promise specific returns or retirement ages
- Don't dismiss employer pensions as "bad" — many are genuinely valuable
- Avoid one-size-fits-all advice (a 25-year-old and 55-year-old need very different strategies)
- Don't present aggressive FIRE strategies as universally applicable

Monetization approach:
- Brokerage affiliate programs (Fidelity, Vanguard, Schwab partner programs)
- Financial planning tool affiliates (NewRetirement, Boldin, ProjectionLab)
- Comprehensive retirement planning courses ($197-$497)
- If credentialed, offer financial planning consultations ($200-$500/session)
- Use FluxNote to create Shorts summarizing key retirement concepts to drive subscribers toward your in-depth content