How to Fight Back Against Your Medicare IRMAA Surcharge

Encore - Retirement Income & Thoughts on Dividend Investing

My firm, Planable Wealth, is currently very busy in the midst of our Spring Strategy Meetings with clients where we help people just like you create and retool their financial and tax plans for 2026 and beyond. That said I wanted to bring you an encore episode this week, which I think, is one of the core episodes we've done so far Back in episode 70, I discussed the importance of retirement income and the realities of your cash flow in retirement. I also share my thoughts on dividend investing especially when trying to utilize dividends as an income stream in retirement. Income planning will make or break your retirement years - This is because your income in retirement will be what controls your lifestyle, not your net worth. When doing your pre-retirement planning - hopefully several years before your desired retirement - you'll want to match your lifestyle wants, needs, and goals with the income you are able to generate from your various financial assets and resources – but, depending on where you generate income from, you may run into certain hurdles along the way. In this episode we break down the important pillars of retirement income planning, matching your income sources to your retirement goals, and why a dividend income strategy may not be the best choice. Thanks for being a loyal listener and we'll be back with new episodes soon. More specifically, I discuss: * Defining retirement income planning * The 2 major pitfalls you need top watch out for when creating your retirement plan * Investment returns or income? * Potential cons of a "probability-based" retirement plan * Wade Pfau's Four L's of Retirement * Matching your various retirement income sources with your goals * Potential issues when relying on only one income source such as real estate or dividends * The importance of dividends * A pure dividend spending strategy isn't a great retirement income strategy The Key Moments In This Episode Are: (02:43) The Error of Relying Solely on 1 Retirement Income Source (03:39) Challenges of Basic Income Planning (06:03) Retirement Income is More Important Than Investment Returns (09:15) The Four L's of Retirement Planning (11:57) Funding Your Desired Lifestyle (13:09) Rental Real Estate May Not Be The Most Efficient Retirement Income Plan (15:35) Planning for Legacy, or Not (16:46) The Importance of Liquidity in Retirement (18:42) The "Live Off Of Dividends" Strategy Debate (25:25) The Risks of High-Dividend Paying Stocks (30:36) Total Return Investing as an Alternative Resources: * Retired-ish Newsletter Sign-Up [https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/VjiTbE7/retiredish] * Get Show Notes Here [https://retiredishpodcast.com/93]

How to Fight Back Against Your Medicare IRMAA Surcharge

You worked hard your whole career, you saved, you did everything right — and now you're on Medicare and you get a letter from Social Security telling you that you owe hundreds of dollars extra every single month in premiums just because you made too much money! No warning. No opt-out. Just, what looks like punishment for doing a good job and setting yourself up for retirement. That's IRMAA. And what most people don't know is that in certain situations, you can fight back — and win. Today we're breaking all of it down. The real numbers, the real rules, and exactly how to use the appeal process strategically if you qualify. More specifically, we discuss: * What is Income Related Adjustment Amount (IRMAA)? * How to calculate what your potential Medicare premium surcharges will be * Common situations that cause Medicare enrollees to be subject to IRMAA surcharges * When and how can you appeal IRMAA surcharges on your Medicare premiums? * Practical tips when appealing IRMAA surcharges * Strategies to avoid IRMAA surcharges Resources: * Access Episode Show Notes and Sign Up for the Retired·ish Newsletter [https://retiredishpodcast.com/92] * Ask Cameron A Question! [https://retiredishpodcast.com/ask-a-question] Key moments: (02:56) IRMAA Medicare Premium Surcharges: How it Works (05:50) Calculating Your MAGI (Income) for IRMAA (09:27) IRMAA Brackets and Cliff System (17:37) Common IRMAA Medicare Premium Surcharge Triggers (23:07) Appealing IRMAA with Form SSA-44 (26:52) IRMAA Appeal Example Scenarios (31:37) Non-Qualifying Events for IRMAA Appeal (40:02) Practical Tips for Filing an IRMAA Appeal (41:00) Strategies to Avoid IRMAA (46:51) Listener Question: IRMAA appeal for deferred compensation

How Are Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) Treated in a Divorce?

Your spouse works at a major publicly traded company. You're going through a divorce. And somewhere in their compensation package are restricted stock units or RSUs — awards of shares of company stock that haven't even vested yet. Are you supposed to receive stock? Are the RSUs considered income? Are they both? How much are we actually talking about here? By the end of this episode, you're going to understand Restricted Stock Units (RSU) and how they are commonly handled in a divorce so you can be better prepared! More specifically, we discuss: * What are Restricted Stock Units (RSUs)? * Dividing RSUs in a Divorce * Characterizing RSUs as Income or Assets * Determining RSU Community Property and Separate Property * Commonly Used Formulas for Splitting RSUs in California Key moments: (00:00) Introduction (00:59) What are Restricted Stock Units (RSUs)? (04:37) RSUs vs. Stock Options (07:02) Understanding Vesting Schedules (09:14) Companies that Offer RSUs (11:45) Dividing RSUs in a Divorce (13:15) Characterizing RSUs as Income or Assets in Divorce (16:11) Unvested RSUs at Date of Separation (DoS) (17:36) Determining Community Property and Separate Property for RSUs (20:32) Commonly Utilized Formulas for RSUs in California Divorces (27:48) Practical Example: Jim and Rachel Johnson (33:52) Important Information to Gather Regarding RSUs In The Divorce Process Resources: * Access Episode Show Notes and Sign Up for the Retired·ish Newsletter [https://retiredishpodcast.com/91] * Ask Cameron A Question! [https://retiredishpodcast.com/ask-a-question/]

Invest All at Once Or Gradually Over Time?

You just came into a large sum of money. Could be an inheritance, a business sale, a 401(k) rollover. And now you're paralyzed trying to figure out when to invest it. Do you invest it all today? Spread it out over six months? A year? Wait for the markets to drop or the perfect opportunity to cruise by? In this episode, Cameron summarizes what the research actually says, and more importantly—when the math matters and when it doesn't. More specifically, we discuss: * What is Dollar Cost Averaging (DCA)? * The Problem With Dollar Cost Averaging * Vanguard's Research on DCA vs. Lump Sum Investing * What If You End Up Investing "At All Time Highs"? * How To Decide Whether or Not To Invest The Lump Sum or DCA Over Time Resources: * Access Episode Show Notes and Sign Up for the Retired·ish Newsletter [https://retiredishpodcast.com/90] * Ask Cameron A Question! [https://retiredishpodcast.com/85] * 2012 Vanguard: "Dollar-cost averaging just means taking risk later" https://static.twentyoverten.com/5980d16bbfb1c93238ad9c24/rJpQmY8o7/Dollar-Cost-Averaging-Just-Means-Taking-Risk-Later-Vanguard.pdf [https://static.twentyoverten.com/5980d16bbfb1c93238ad9c24/rJpQmY8o7/Dollar-Cost-Averaging-Just-Means-Taking-Risk-Later-Vanguard.pdf] * 2023 Vanguard: "Cost averaging: Invest now or temporarily hold your cash?" https://corporate.vanguard.com/content/dam/corp/research/pdf/cost_averaging_invest_now_or_temporarily_hold_your_cash.pdf [https://corporate.vanguard.com/content/dam/corp/research/pdf/cost_averaging_invest_now_or_temporarily_hold_your_cash.pdf] * Vanguard Summary Article: https://investor.vanguard.com/investor-resources-education/news/lump-sum-investing-versus-cost-averaging-which-is-better * Kitces Article: "Dollar Cost Averaging Manages Risk But Reduces Returns" https://www.kitces.com/blog/dollar-cost-averaging-versus-lump-sum-how-dca-investing-can-manage-risk-but-on-average-reduces-returns/ [https://www.kitces.com/blog/dollar-cost-averaging-versus-lump-sum-how-dca-investing-can-manage-risk-but-on-average-reduces-returns/] Key moments: (00:00) Invest All at Once Or Gradually Over Time? (01:16) What is Lump Sum Investing vs Dollar Cost Averaging? (05:18) The Math Problem with Dollar Cost Averaging (07:35) Vanguard's Research on Lump Sum Investing vs Dollar Cost Averaging (11:27) The All-Time Highs Myth (16:07) The Impossibility of Being Right Twice (18:44) Three Questions to Ask Before Investing a Lump Sum (23:02) A Hybrid Approach to Investing a Lump Sum (27:03) A Hierarchy for Investing a Lump Sum (28:38) Get More Useful Information

What To Do With The House?: A Tax Planning Case Study for Families Looking to Fund Long-Term Care

If your aging parent owns a home and they are reaching the point in life where their physical and or mental health is rapidly declining and they need additional care, there is a clock ticking on decisions that most families don't even know they need to make. And those decisions — specifically, what to do with their house and how to fund their care— carry tax consequences that can either preserve tens of thousands of dollars for the next generation or quietly hand it to the IRS. Typically, the responsibility of figuring all this stuff out lands on your shoulders. In this episode, Cameron walks you through a real-world case study, step by step, so you can see exactly how this can play out while minimizing taxes as much as possible and funding their care. More specifically, we discuss: * What are the tax ramifications of selling the home to fund long-term care? * What are the tax ramifications of renting the home to help pay for care? * What are the tax consequences of staying in the home and paying for care? * Utilizing a Multiple Support Agreement to obtain tax deductions for the adult child caregiver * The Section 121 gain exclusion on a personal residence * A detailed walkthrough of tax saving strategies in all scenarios Resources: * Access Episode Show Notes and Sign Up for the Retired·ish Newsletter [https://retiredishpodcast.com/89] * Ask Cameron A Question! [https://retiredishpodcast.com/ask-a-question/]