Roth IRA Mistakes, Part 2: EDU #2602
January 14, 2026
Chris’s SummaryJim and I continue last week’s EDU discussion on Roth IRA mistakes from an Investopedia article. We cover direct versus 60-day rollovers, the one-per-365-day IRA-to-IRA limit, and the 401(k) 20% withholding rule with the RMD and NUA exceptions. We revisit backdoor Roth mechanics and the pro rata rule, then shift to beneficiary designation forms and why naming an estate creates...
Listen NowIRMAA, Inherited IRA, LTC, ACA Tax Credits: Q&A #2602
January 10, 2026
Jim and Chris are joined by Jake to discuss listener questions on SSA-44 and IRMAA surcharges, inherited IRA spousal rollover rules, long-term care insurance benefit caps, and ACA tax credits. (4:45) George asks whether an unexpected W-2 stock option payout in 2025 could support filing SSA-44 to reduce 2027 IRMAA surcharges, especially if he stops consulting income afterward. (12:00) A listener...
Listen NowRoth IRA Mistakes, Part 1: EDU #2601
January 7, 2026
If you want to skip over some weather banter you can go to (14:15). Chris’s SummaryJim and I review Roth IRA mistakes and walk through key rules on earned income eligibility, income limits, spousal contributions, excess contributions, and qualified distributions. We use an Investopedia article as a framework, clarify how MAGI impacts Roth eligibility, explain the October 15 correction deadline,...
Listen NowSocial Security, Deemed Military Wages, Estate Planning, QLACs: Q&A #2601
January 3, 2026
Jim and Chris discuss listener emails on Social Security claiming strategies, deemed military wages, and survivor benefits timing, a PSA from Jim and Chris on their New Year’s resolution, and QLAC use for inherited IRAs. (11:00) A listener asks whether a spouse who will be collecting spousal benefits should ever delay claiming past full retirement age and also asks for retirement drawdown...
Listen NowNew MYGA Variations: EDU #2553
December 31, 2025
Chris’s SummaryJim and I review new MYGA variations and examine how insurers and product developers are marketing hybrid annuity designs using MYGA language. We walk through four examples from an April 2025 article—“Lockdown,” “Minimum Accumulation Guarantee,” “Extra Extra,” and the “End-of-Term Equity Kicker”—and explain why these products, despite being labeled as MYGAs, rely on index-linked...
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