Risk Management & Insurance

You're 63. Your tax preparer says your AGI is $105,000. Comfortably below the $109,000 IRMAA threshold. You relax. Two years later, at 65, you get a letter: your Medicare Part B premium is $1,165 higher because of $5,000 in tax-free municipal bond interest you (and your CPA) forgot about. That's when you learn...

You’ve spent decades planning, saving, and investing diligently. Now, on the cusp of retirement, you’re confronted with a penalty for your success: the Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount, or IRMAA. It’s a surcharge on your Medicare Part B and D premiums, and the anxiety it produces is palpable. You’re worried...

If you're reading this in 2025, there's a good chance your 2027 Medicare premiums are being decided right now. Same with Part D too. And you don't even know it. Many people turn to online forums for insights, leading to frequent discussions about common concerns like the top IRMAA...

According to Kiplinger, the average high-income beneficiary pays $3,847 per year in Medicare Part B and Part D surcharges. But what if I told you that with proper planning, you could reduce or eliminate these costs entirely? This isn't about finding a loophole; it’s about understanding the rules better than the government expects you...

You must use Form SSA-44 (Medicare Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount; Life-Changing Event) to file an IRMAA appeal with the Social Security Administration (SSA). This form allows you to request a reduction in your Medicare Part B and Medicare Part D premiums if a qualifying life-changing event (such as retirement or divorce) has significantly reduced your Modified...

I'm Michael Ryan, and in my 3 decades as a financial planner, the most common and heartbreaking mistake I’ve witnessed has always centered on bad timing. And winning an appeal is not easy. You’ve worked decades to build a successful Traditional IRA or a healthy investment portfolio. You’ve earned the...

Did you know the Medicare IRMAA surcharge can impose a hidden, devastating 124,800% effective marginal tax rate on a single extra dollar of retirement income? This penalty, which adds thousands in annual Medicare premiums, blindsides even sophisticated savers because of the dangerous 2-Year Look-Back Rule. Additionally, understanding the implications of the medicare hold...

Have questions on Medicare costs? Wondering about IRMAA Brackets and surcharges for your Medicare Parts B & D? We're going to unpack the hidden expense that catches thousands of Medicare beneficiaries off guard every year. Along with my IRMAA Checklist. A surcharge that's being determined by financial decisions you made back...

As a security and fraud investigator who teaches White-Collar Crime, I've seen the aftermath. Deed & home title fraud isn't a technical problem, but a human one. It's the violation of having your safest space, your home stolen from under you with nothing but a pen and a lie. For...

Ever found that perfect car online, the one that was never sold in the U.S., and thought, "I have to have it"? I've seen that excitement on a client's face more times than I can count. But what often follows is the sticker shock of insuring it. Getting import...