Social Security education
A personalized RSSA® Roadmap analysis is at the core of what I do, alongside education on every decision that surrounds it.
Social Security optimization
Social Security isn't a single checkbox at 62, 65, or 70; it's an inflation-protected asset, and for a married couple there can be hundreds of possible claiming combinations once you factor in spousal, survivor, and divorced-spouse benefits. A standard online calculator can't account for your tax situation, future work plans, or how those benefits coordinate.
Using RSSA® Roadmap software, I build a custom report covering the decisions that actually move your retirement income:
- Optimal claiming age strategy
- Spousal coordination
- Survivor impact modeling
- Break-even analysis
- Impact of working while claiming
- Divorce scenarios (10+ year rule)
What else factors into the decision
Social Security rarely stands alone. I also help individuals and couples understand how these topics interact with a claiming strategy:
- Medicare IRMAA impacts
- Income-based surcharges for Medicare Part B and Part D premiums.
- Roth conversions
- Impact on income taxes, IRMAA, and taxation of non-spouse heirs.
- Account withdrawal sequence
- What order should you withdraw money from during retirement?
- Sequence of withdrawal risk
- How market timing early in retirement can compound losses.
- Retirement budgeting and risk assessment
- Sizing a realistic budget against your actual risk tolerance.
- Emergency funds
- How much to hold, and where to hold it, in retirement.
- RMD forecasting
- Impact on income taxes and IRMAA as required distributions begin.
- Surviving spouse tax bracket impact
- Income reduction planning for the transition to single filer status.
- ACA subsidy cliffs
- Pre-Medicare healthcare expenses and options to defer income.
- Long-term care planning
- Self-funding versus long-term care insurance.
There's a teacher, not a salesman, behind this advice.
A short conversation could meaningfully change your outcome. Booking is free, and there's no obligation to become a client.