The Retirement and IRA Show

If you would like to skip over Jim and Chris’s banter on the weather, that manages to touch on Colorado water rights (an issue many east of the Mississippi probably find baffling), then you can start listening at (11:45).

Chris’s Summary
Jim and I continue our look through the Ed Slott IRA quiz, covering IRA...

Jim and Chris discuss listener emails, opening with listener PSAs on Medicare Advantage HSA reimbursement eligibility, then moving into questions on Social Security beneficiary rules and finishing their look at conduit trusts for IRAs.

(7:00) A listener asks whether Social...

Chris’s Summary
Jim and I discuss the Ed Slott quiz questions from his November advisor training, opening with the widow/widower tax penalty and required beginning dates for IRA required minimum distributions before moving into inherited IRA rules — year of death RMDs with multiple beneficiaries and the deadline for satisfying them, spousal rol...

Chris is joined by Jake Turner to discuss listener emails

Chris’s Summary
With Jim at the T3 conference in New Orleans, I am joined by Jake Turner to cover how to factor a defined benefit pension into retirement planning, using the situation of a 45-year-old law enforcement officer with a non-covered pension as the backdrop. We walk through evaluating his savings rate against the 15–20% rule of thumb, the lump sum equivalent value of his pension income, why the presence or absence o...

Jim and Chris discuss listener emails on PSAs regarding IRMAA reimbursements, RMD in-kind transfers, and naming a conduit trust as a retirement account beneficiary.

(8:15) A listener shares a PSA that an IRMAA reimbursement was applied as a credit balance drawn down over s...

Chris’s Summary
Jim and I continue our discussion on 99 Retirement Tips from Fisher Investments, picking up where we left off last week. We cover involving children in financial decisions, the liquidity trade-off of paying off a mortgage early, renting before buying in a new retirement location, lifetime gifts as part of the fun budget, and wat...

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 ste...

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 incapacit...

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 conver...

If you would rather not listen to the guys’ banter about Jacob’s upcoming move to Iowa, Jim’s garden planning, and a listener correction about the word “imbibe” you can skip ahead to (33:30).

Chris’s Summary
Jim and I are joined by Jacob Vonloh as we discuss using Buffere...

Jim and Chris discuss listener emails on Medicare Part B decisions for retirees abroad, Social Security survivor benefit surprises, inherited Roth IRA distribution rules, and balancing Treasuries versus annuities when “safety” is more emotional than mathematical.

(6:45) A listener asks about situations where it might make sense to skip Medicare Part B, including retirees living abroad with stro...

Chris’s Summary
Jim and I are joined by Steve Sansone as we revisit Cash Balance Plans and respond to listener follow-up emails.

(8:30) A CPA asks whether cash balance plans could be a fit for farmers with high income near retirement driven by deferred grain and equipment sales.
(18:30) A list...

Jim and Chris discuss listener emails on IRMAA appeals using Form SSA-44, avoiding the 10% early withdrawal penalty, and whether a 403(b) distribution can be rolled into an IRA. Jim also manages to turn a discussion on Superbowl food to a conversation on retirement planning for the Go-Go phase of life (with a few other stops in between). So, if you typically skip the banter you may want to tune in around (10:10) for that discussion...

Chris’s Summary
Jim and I discuss spending anxiety in retirement using a Washington Post article written by a personal finance columnist describing her fear of spending after her husband retires. We look at why the shift from saving to spending can feel destabilizing even when pensions and Social Security are in place, an...

Jim and Chris discuss listener emails on Social Security timing for HSA contributions, investing in a SPIA vs buffered ETFs, and using SEPP 72(t) income to manage ACA credits.
(7:00) A listener describes delaying a Social Security filing to avoid Medicare Part A backdating that would have reduced prior-year HSA contributions, while still receiving full retroactive benefits.

If you’d like to skip over the guys chatting about cold weather and football you can to (8:15).

Chris’s Summary
Jim and I are joined by Jacob as we continue our discussion on asset positioning and explain how we approach managing investment assets within a distribution portfolio. W...

Jim and Chris discuss listener emails on Social Security survivor benefits and the earnings test, share a listener PSA on Social Security timing and IRMAA, then cover ERISA protections for retirement rollovers and a PSA from Greg on lifetime unlimited long-term care policies.
(9:45) Georgette asks whether she must still take her husband’s required minimum distributions if he passes during his RM...

If you want to miss all the fun banter about Jim’s Singo (song bingo) night and his trip to Kentucky and Amish country you can skip ahead to (16:00).

Chris’s Summary
Jim and I are joined by Jacob Vonloh as we discuss investing for retirees, using a listener email as the starting point for a broader conversation about how inv...