Social Security, IRMAA, Disclaiming Inheritances, Roth Conversions: Q&A #2609
The Retirement and IRA Show
Jim Saulnier, CFP® & Chris Stein, CFP®
4.3 • 729 Ratings
🗓️ 28 February 2026
⏱️ 49 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
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 stemming from a successful SSA-44 IRMAA relief request, including whether a retroactive refund is due, whether Step 3 covers the following year, and whether a separate filing is needed for his own income reduction.
(27:30) Jim and Chris respond to a listener who clarifies that benefits withheld under the Social Security earnings test are deferred, not lost, and are returned as a higher benefit at full retirement age.
(31:00) Georgette asks when it makes sense to disclaim an inherited brokerage account and whether passing the assets directly to their children is the right move.
(40:45) The guys are asked about the rules and tax implications of converting brokerage account funds to a Roth IRA, including whether having no earned income in retirement disqualifies someone from doing
The post Social Security, IRMAA, Disclaiming Inheritances, Roth Conversions: Q&A #2609 appeared first on The Retirement and IRA Show.
Transcript
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| 0:48.3 | Finance Instructor and Certified Financial Planner Chris Stein, teach you about IRAs, 401ks, annuities, |
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| 1:20.9 | Now here's Jim and Chris with today's show. |
| 1:27.0 | Hello, everybody, and welcome to the Retirement and IRA show, Q&A edition for this week. |
| 1:32.8 | I think we got a pretty standard show set up for you today, no special guests or specific themes on today's show. |
| 1:40.7 | So I'm sure we'll start with some social security and or Irma related emails and then |
| 1:47.0 | get into whatever Jim happens to pull out of his bag full of emails that he's got. By the way, |
| 1:55.4 | that is the method for submitting a question for the show. If you'd like us to cover it on a future |
... |
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