My wife passed away in June. Our 2024 MFJ tax return was in the first IRMAA premium tier. The 2024 tax return will be the basis for my SS Part B fee including the IRMAA premium. My wife’s only income was SS and my projected 2026 MAGI will be reduced because of this. However, the main reason we were in the IRMAA Premium tier was that I did a $106k Roth conversion from my TIRA. How will this be dealt with now that I will be a single tax payer in 2026?

Three fat peas with a few fine slices of beetroot and two strategically placed dabs of flavoured foam. “Interesting” was my one-word comment. I’m a reluctant guest at a high-end Michelin-starred restaurant. By the fifth course I’m wishing for some real food—I think my metabolism is burning through the calories quicker than I’m consuming them. The restaurant is called OX and I’d happily wrap my chops around an ox steak if one happened to wander past.

We hear a lot these days about the minimum wage, that it is not a living wage and hasn’t been increased since 2009. Both are true. But there is more to it than that. 
I am not trying to make a case for or against raising the minimum wage. However, there are consequences that proponents seem to ignore or gloss over.
I do think the answer to long-term financial security is not found in raising the minimum wage rate,

I braved the cold and windy weather last night for a walk, heading back to my vacation home. I was magically drawn into the local hotel by the thought of a crackling turf fire and a nice pint of Guinness to warm my wind-chilled bones. It was an excellent choice. I got to listen in on a conversation a group of twenty-somethings were having at the cubby beside mine.
I enjoy eavesdropping but normally don’t get the chance.

I’m not a doom monger, in fact, I’m pretty much a techno-optimist. That said, it seems to me the internet isn’t as stable as it used to be. I keep hearing reports of data centers going down and chunks of the web having issues, which knocks out various consumer-facing applications. Some outages are trivial, social media going dark for a few hours, but others are more serious, like payment system failures.
In my day-to-day life, I simply don’t use cash.

Here is a link to a Substack article by Mark Miller a leading expert on Medicare, and my go to source. He writes an excellent synopsis of changes this year:
https://open.substack.com/pub/retirementrevised/p/your-guide-to-medicare-fall-enrollment?r=17lsan&utm_medium=ios

The Letter of Final Instructions
In many households, one spouse or partner will handle most of the financial and business matters. The other person often has little or no involvement in these matters.  This issue has been exacerbated over the past thirty years as many of these matters are now handled digitally which makes it even more difficult to pick up these duties without good documentation and an up-to-date status of all accounts.
I have done a zoom presentation to North Carolina government retirees numerous times in the past year about The Letter of Final Instructions.

I have a question for my fellow humble members of this Forum.
I’ve often heard financial professionals discourage borrowing from a 401(k) plan, citing what they call a “double taxation” issue. The claim goes like this: when you repay your 401(k) loan, you use after-tax money, and then later, when you withdraw funds from your 401(k) in retirement, you’ll pay taxes again on that same money. Therefore, they say, you’re taxed twice.
While there are many valid pros and cons to taking a 401(k) loan,

I read with great interest what happened to a widow whose husband died unexpectedly and she had to deal with the finances. The article which should be available without a subscription is below:
https://www.wsj.com/personal-finance/widow-financial-planning-36ce4608?st=AM25UW&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink
I wanted to know what do HD readers do to prevent something similar from happening to them. Is there a checklist that you review every so often with your spouse or someone who will handle your finances after you are gone.
I look forward to your wisdom.

The projected IRMAA premiums for 2026 start at $109,000 for a single person and $218,000 for married filing jointly.
The median household income in the US is about $83,730 (2024). And many workers pay far more for health insurance than any Medicare premium. 
The median household income for those age 65 and older is around $56,680 with significant variations by race and ethnicity- several much lower – roughly a quarter of the IRMAA threshold.
And yet,

SOME NEWS STORIES are unusual in ways that it’s hard to know what to make of them. Such is the case with the recent collapse of a relatively unknown company called First Brands.
On the surface, it might seem like a mundane story. First Brands is an auto parts supplier, making commodity items like brake pads and windshield wipers. The company was founded in 2013 by a fellow named Patrick James, who built it up over the years by acquiring several other,

MOST PEOPLE THINK their retirement accounts are completely locked until age 59½ due to the 10% early withdrawal penalty, but that’s not really true. There are many ways to access your money earlier without the penalty, and knowing them can give you flexibility. Of course, you shouldn’t be touching your retirement accounts unless you’re ready to retire.
Here are some distributions that are not subject to the 10% penalty, per the IRS list:

Birth or adoption (up to $5,000 per child)
Series of substantially equal payments (72t)
First-time homebuyer (up to $10,000,

My absolute favorite things are the living and breathing things in my life; Chrissy, my kids, grandkids, friends, and even Sophie the wondercat. But this article is about the inanimate objects that make me happy, without breaking the bank.
Our house, at 1900 square feet, is neither tiny nor large. It is nice, easy to clean and big enough to host my favorite living things. We live on plat three. Plat four is under construction. Last week we took a drive to the new section.

My electric utility is using AI analysis of my usage patterns to determine how my home uses electricity. For example, identifying various appliances by their energy signature. For several months it has been providing me with a summary.
Is this useful?  Well, knowing this implies I can make changes if I choose to exercise some control.  For example, altering my cooling thermostat setting.  Of course, ambient, outdoor temperatures and amount of sunlight are a factor.  Or,

The first is adequately providing for a surviving spouse/partner. While this can be accomplished in different ways depending on circumstances, there is absolutely no excuse for leaving a survivor with financial stress, none.
For our part, Connie has survivor annuities from my pensions, Social Security, life insurance covering two years expenses, her own very small annuity, income from our investments and the portfolio itself.  
Needless to say, the age difference between partners is a factor in any strategy.