The Retirement and IRA Show

Jim and Chris discuss listener emails on Social Security survivor benefits, IRMAA relief and the SSA-44 process, the Social Security earnings test, disclaiming inheritances that are brokerage accounts, and Roth conversion rules for retirees.

(6:00) A listener asks whether his wife’s early Social Security claim at 62 would reduce the survivor benefit she’d receive upon his death.

(14:00) George asks several questions stemming from a successful SSA-44 IRMAA relief request, including whether a retroactive refund is due, whether Step 3 covers the following year, and whether a separate filing is needed for his own income reduction.

(27:30) Jim and Chris respond to a listener who clarifies that benefits withheld under the Social Security earnings test are deferred, not lost, and are returned as a higher benefit at full retirement age.

(31:00) Georgette asks when it makes sense to disclaim an inherited brokerage account and whether passing the assets directly to their children is the right move.

(40:45) The guys are asked about the rules and tax implications of converting brokerage account funds to a Roth IRA, including whether having no earned income in retirement disqualifies someone from doing

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Chris’s Summary
Jim and I review Fisher Investments’ 99 Retirement Tips and begin working through the list, covering only a handful in this episode. We discuss estate planning basics such as having a will, the importance of reviewing estate documents, and considering living wills and trusts, with emphasis on incapacity planning. We then examine longevity statistics, why life expectancy at birth is often misapplied, and how that connects to retirement income decisions, including Fisher’s warning on annuities.

Jim’s “Pithy” Summary
Chris and I start digging into Fisher Investments’ 99 Retirement Tips and, true to form, we only make it through a few because I may have wandered down a rabbit hole or two. The estate planning stuff is straightforward—have a will, review it, don’t ignore the documents that matter if you’re alive but not fully capable. Death is easy administratively. Incapacity is where things get messy, and that’s where families struggle. And that’s where better planning matters most.

Then we get into longevity. If you’re going to say people might live longer than they think, you better use the right numbers. Not the “life expectancy at birth” headline stat. If a couple makes it to 65, the odds shift. That matters. That changes the runway. That changes how you think about income. It also changes how long that portfolio has to work, and how long decisions have to hold up.

And from there we run into the annuity warning. We’re not pro-annuity and we’re not anti-annuity. Many deserve criticism, but if longevity risk is real—and it can be—then you should evaluate lifetime income options on their merits. Social Security is guaranteed lifetime income. Income annuities are too, so they should belong in the conversation. Whether you use them depends on the situation, but you can’t talk about taking longevity seriously and then issue a blanket warning against annuities.

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Jim and Chris are joined by Jake Turner to discuss listener emails in this special tax related episode covering Roth conversions after RMD age, balancing Roth versus Traditional IRA contributions, HSA versus Roth contributions, IRA reporting questions, filing deceased tax returns, and a listener PSA on tax planning software.

(11:30) A listener asks whether converting to a Roth makes sense at age 75 while currently in the 12% bracket and taking RMDs, and whether recent tax law changes create a strategy opportunity.

(20:20) George wonders whether his 30-something children should continue using Roth contributions exclusively or begin balancing with Traditional IRA contributions as their wages increase, and asks what percentage split between Traditional and Roth accounts looks reasonable in retirement.

(48:45) The guys discuss whether covering medical expenses from an HSA and contributing to a Roth IRA, or leaving the HSA intact and paying medical bills out of pocket will result in greater retirement spending flexibility.

(57:00) Jim, Chris, and Jake address whether a spouse who retired during the year is considered covered by a workplace plan, how to answer prior nondeductible IRA contribution questions, and whether Form 8606 is required after making and converting a small IRA contribution in the same year.

(1:10:30) George asks how to handle the direct deposit of a refund on a deceased final 1040, including whether to use the estate bank account with an EIN or the decedent’s existing account, and whether a paper check remains an option.

(1:15:30) A listener PSA introduces Catalyst Tax Insights, a free tool to run “what if” scenarios and estimate taxes owed without using full tax software.

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