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Medicare IRMAA can blindside people who are about to retire - and especially those who have recently retired. In this episode of The Perfect Retirement Plan?, Phillip Smith (Financial Planner with Tidepool Wealth Strategies breaks down IRMAA in plain English and shows how smart retirement planning in your low-tide tax window can lower lifetime premiums and taxes.

You’ll learn about the 2025 IRMAA income thresholds, the 2-year lookback, how Roth conversions and one-time income can trigger the surcharge, and practical ways to set income buffers, time conversions, harvest gains on purpose, and appeal to Social Security with SSA-44 after qualifying life events. If you are an Oregon PERS retiree or OPSRP member, we cover how IRMAA fits into a PERS strategy so your Medicare costs don’t erode your income plan.

00:00 IRMAA shock: why your Medicare bill jumped
00:24 Who this helps and how IRMAA shows up
00:55 Today’s roadmap
01:19 IRMAA basics in plain English
01:43 Two-year lookback and 2025 premiums
02:29 Cliffs, thresholds, and single-filer halves
02:50 The low-tide tax window
03:13 Strategy playbook overview
04:02 Set bracket buffers for Roth conversions
04:25 When to convert: early, throughout, year-end
04:50 Harvest gains and pair with deductions
05:21 SALT cap timing and coordinated deductions
06:01 Muni interest counts; SSA-44 appeal option
06:25 Common pitfalls to avoid
07:12 The widow(er) tax bomb
07:41 Case study: results and lessons
08:16 Action steps this week

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Thanks for tuning in to this episode of The Perfect Retirement Plan, and remember: it's not about having the smartest financial advisor, the most money saved, or the highest probability of retirement success. The perfect retirement plan, for you – is the one you act on.

Phillip Smith, CRPC AIF | Financial Planner
Tidepool Wealth Strategies
450 Country Club Road, Suite 350 | Eugene, OR | 97401

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Additional Disclosures:
The opinions contained in this material are those of the author, and not a recommendation or solicitation to buy or sell investment products. This information is from sources believed to be reliable, but Cetera Wealth Services, LLC cannot guarantee or represent that it is accurate or complete.
All investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. There is no assurance that any investment strategy will be successful.