IRMAA Brackets and QLACs: Q&A #2548
November 29, 2025
Jim and Chris discuss listener questions on IRMAA brackets and several QLAC topics including RMD interaction, suitability, payout values, and purchase timing. (19:30) A listener wonders if their lower 2024 income will automatically reduce their 2026 IRMAA even though it doesn’t qualify for an SS-44, or if they must contact the SSA.(25:15) George asks whether going above certain income thresholds...
Listen NowQLAC Use Cases and Planning: EDU #2548
November 26, 2025
Chris’s SummaryJim and I discuss QLAC use cases in the context of retirement income planning and how the Treasury Department designed these annuities to function. We walk through when someone might consider using one, how the absence of cash value affects planning decisions, differences among providers on turning income on early, the impact of mortality credits on later-life payouts, and how...
Listen NowSocial Security, IRMAA, ETFs, Private Investments: Q&A #2547
November 22, 2025
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...
Listen NowQLAC Rules and Uses: EDU #2547
November 19, 2025
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 SummaryJim 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...
Listen NowSocial Security,Estate Planning PSA, Annuity Payments: Q&A #2546
November 15, 2025
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...
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