The Retirement and IRA Show

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Social Security, IRMAA, ETFs, Private Investments: Q&A #2547 Nov 22, 2025

Show notes

Jim and Chris discuss listener questions on Social Security spousal benefits, IRMAA’s classification, concerns about buffer-style funds, the growing push toward private investments, and moving from mutual funds to ETFs.

(22:30) A listener presents a hypothetical asking whether the repeal of WEP/GPO could allow Georgette to receive a spousal benefit based on her ex-husband’s Federal Employee record.
(28:30) Jim and Chris review a listener’s question about when his spouse can file for her spousal Social Security benefit after he submitted his own application.
(37:30) The guys address a listener’s challenge to the explanation that IRMAA is an insurance premium rather than a tax.
(43:45) George asks about a recent AQR paper evaluating the effectiveness of buffer funds.
(1:01:45) A listener wonders whether the growing push toward private investments—such as private equity and private debt—means they should consider using them.
(1:10:45) Jim and Chris review a listener’s question on whether long-held mutual funds can be moved into ETFs without triggering large capital gains.

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**QLAC Rules and Uses: EDU #2547** Nov 19, 2025
Show notes

If you would prefer to miss Jim’s update on his broken-down truck and recent travels you can skip ahead to (12:45).

**Chris’s Summary**
Jim and I walk through QLAC rules and explain how qualified longevity annuity contracts fit into our Secure Retirement Income Process for people who want reliable income later in life. We look at how the Treasury Department designed QLACs after the 2008 market correction, how they work inside IRAs and employer plans, why mortality credits matter, and what Secure 2.0 changed for RMDs.

**Jim’s “Pithy” Summary**
Chris can’t hide his reaction when QLACs come up and one listener wondering why brings about today’s conversation. A QLAC is simply a very specific deferred income annuity the Treasury Department carved out after the 2008 market mess—its purpose was to let people secure future lifetime income inside IRAs and employer plans without RMD rules getting in the way.

I make the case that none of this is about chasing returns. It’s about recognizing that longevity insurance is a different tool entirely, one built around mortality credits and the power of deferring income to a later phase of life. We talk through how those credits work, how payout structures change when you share them or hold more back for beneficiaries, and why people get whipsawed by the industry: asset managers who never want assets to leave their books, and commission-driven annuity salespeople who try to turn everything into a product pitch.

A listener’s email raises a real-world concern—how to make sure the later years’ Minimum Dignity Floor is supported when a portfolio has had its ups and downs. QLACs come into the discussion as one answer to that problem, and I lay out who this kind of deferred lifetime income tends to help and the situations where people might consider using it inside their IRA.

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Social Security,Estate Planning PSA, Annuity Payments: Q&A #2546 Nov 15, 2025

Show notes

Jim and Chris discuss listener questions on Social Security claiming timing with a listener PSA on application details, Social Security earnings rules at FRA, estate planning organization systems, and restrictions for annuity payments.

(15:30) Georgette shares a PSA about the Social Security application process and asks whether applying for benefits to start the month she turns 70 ensures she receives all delayed credits.

(30:00) A listener asks how the earnings test applies in the months before full retirement age, what the 2026 limits are, and whether six months of retroactive benefits can be claimed at FRA without triggering the income test.

(43:15) The guys share a listener’s PSA on preparing the non-planner spouse, concerns about health-care constraints, and using an organizational system so a trusted friend can help without sharing passwords in advance.

(1:04:30) Jim and Chris discuss an annuity owner’s difficulty getting IRA annuity payments direct-deposited when the receiving account is titled in a Trust and ask how to address name–titled account mismatches.

The post Social Security,Estate Planning PSA, Annuity Payments: Q&A #2546 appeared first on The Retirement and IRA Show.

Social Security and Roth Conversion Strategies: Q&A #2545 Nov 08, 2025

Show notes

With Jim is away at a conference, Chris is joined by Jake to discuss listener questions on Social Security survivor benefits, and Roth conversion strategies.

(6:30) A listener asks how a widow can maximize her Social Security benefit when her late husband had not yet claimed his.

(14:15) George seeks guidance on figuring out if he and his wife need to do Roth conversions, and, if so, how much.

(40:00) The guys address a listener considering redirecting new Roth contributions to instead pay taxes on larger Roth conversions in a higher tax bracket for the next five years.

The post Social Security and Roth Conversion Strategies: Q&A #2545 appeared first on The Retirement and IRA Show.

Social Security, IRMAA Taxation, 529 Rollover, Deferred Annuities: Q&A #2544 Nov 01, 2025

Show notes

Jim and Chris discuss listener questions on Social Security COLA timing, spousal claiming strategy, IRMAA tax treatment, Roth IRA rollovers from 529 plans, and a listener PSA on deferred annuity RMD rules.

(8:00) Georgette asks whether her initial Social Security benefit—approved in September for a December start—will reflect the January COLA increase.

(15:30) A listener with similar PIAs and ages to their spouse asks whether it makes sense for one to claim early and the other to delay until 70.

(30:30) George shares his realization that the IRMAA surcharge appears to be included in the SSA-1099’s taxable benefit amount, and calls it out in a PSA.

(50:30) The guys respond to George’s question about whether a $5,000 rollover from a 529 to a Roth IRA will be treated entirely as contributions for tax-free early withdrawal.

(1:08:00) Jim and Chris address Peter’s PSA about calculating RMDs when comparing DIAs and FIAs with GLWBs for a future income stream starting at age 75.

The post Social Security, IRMAA Taxation, 529 Rollover, Deferred Annuities: Q&A #2544 appeared first on The Retirement and IRA Show.

Social Security Claiming Strategies, Part 2: EDU #2544 Oct 29, 2025

Show notes

If you would like to skip Jim and Chris discussing Jim’s travel plans and the guys’ frustration with low-cost airline pricing, you can skip ahead to (10:30).

Chris’s Summary
Jim and I continue our discussion on Social Security claiming strategies, revisiting the debate between Professors Derek Tharp and Laurence Kotlikoff. We explore how academic disagreements overlook the practical realities of retirement, emphasizing that Social Security is a resource, not a contest. We examine listener experiences, psychological factors, and portfolio interactions, highlighting how claiming decisions should reflect individual comfort, income structure, and long-term needs—not just mathematical optimization.

Jim’s “Pithy” Summary
Chris and I wrap up our walk through of Professor Kotlikoff’s response to Derek Tharp’s Social Security article—two academics with brilliant résumés and completely opposite opinions on claiming strategies. One says claim early. The other says delay to 70. But both, in my opinion, miss the bus when it comes to what actually matters to retirees: peace of mind.

We read two listener emails that bring the conversation back to reality. One listener puts it simply: “delaying Social Security is longevity insurance”. The second shares two real stories: a friend who claimed at 63, had a serious health event at 68, and passed away at 72, and a father who claimed at 62 but lived to 95. Same choice, very different outcomes. That’s why I say retirement is just a seesaw between the younger you and the older you—and you don’t know which one’s going to show up.

We also dig into some of the risks that get thrown around to justify early claiming—like sequence of return risk or loss of spending flexibility—and explain why they don’t hold much water if your retirement plan is structured the right way. The delay period isn’t something to be afraid of. It has an end date. You can plan for it.

For us, there’s no single right answer. The correct claiming strategy is whatever works for the person. But too many people focus on how to die with the most, instead of asking what their Social Security has to do for them.

Show Notes
Derek Tharp article

Laurence Kotlikoff article

The post Social Security Claiming Strategies, Part 2: EDU #2544 appeared first on The Retirement and IRA Show.

HSA Contributions, Social Security, Fee Disclosures, TSPs: Q&A #2543 Oct 25, 2025

Show notes

Jim and Chris discuss listener questions on how Medicare enrollment affects HSA contributions, Social Security survivor benefits and IRMAA adjustments, financial advisor fee disclosures, and the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) as a tool in retirement planning.
(10:00) A listener asks whether enrolling in Medicare in December with coverage starting in January limits HSA contributions due to the six-month retroactive rule.
(31:00) The guys address how a December birthdate affects delayed retirement credits and whether a surviving spouse would receive the full 8% annual increase.
(39:00) George wants to know if he can use SSA Form 44 to reduce his IRMAA premium calculation after retiring and lowering his income.
(47:00) Jim and Chris respond to a question about financial advisor fee disclosures.
(59:15) A listener asks for Jim and Chris’ thoughts on the Thrift Savings Plan, particularly use of the G Fund.

The post HSA Contributions, Social Security, Fee Disclosures, TSPs: Q&A #2543 appeared first on The Retirement and IRA Show.

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