{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Freedom for Retirement™","title":"When Your Spouse Dies, Your Taxes Go Up. Here’s Why.","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":636,"description":"The death of a spouse triggers some of the most significant financial shifts a family will ever face. And for many, income falls at the exact moment taxes rise.\nIn this episode, Josh Duncan walks through five changes that occur when the first spouse dies. Social Security income can drop by 40% overnight. A household receiving $5,000 per month may be left with $3,000. The surviving spouse moves to single filer tax brackets, often paying higher effective tax rates on income that hasn’t changed much. Medicare premiums can increase as IRMAA thresholds tighten for single filers. Required minimum distributions from inherited retirement accounts continue, adding taxable income in an already compressed bracket. And estate planning responsibilities that were once shared now fall to one person. As Josh notes, the families that navigate these transitions most smoothly are usually not the ones with the most money—they’re the ones who prepared.\nThis episode covers:The Social Security survivor benefit rule and why one check disappearsThe widow’s tax trap: why less income can mean a higher tax rateHow IRMAA thresholds shift for single filers and what it means for Medicare premiumsWhy inherited IRAs and RMDs continue to create taxable income for the surviving spouseEstate planning responsibilities that transfer to one person and how to prepare nowThe best plans don’t just help couples retire together. They protect whichever spouse is left behind.\n👉 Work with us at https://www.f5fp.com.\nAbout F5 Financial Planning:\nAt F5 Financial Planning, we help individuals and families align their finances with what matters most so they can live lives of Freedom and Significance. We are a fee-only, fiduciary financial planning and investment management firm, meaning we don’t earn commissions or sell products — our only commitment is to our clients’ best interests. We provide comprehensive financial planning, investment management, tax-efficient strategies, and retirement planning for...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/OMhHymyiKvGNkP8t54gkQ7TzI2XINLOZKfM_8kC6oG8/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS8zMmQ1/YjllNTViYjQxODFh/ZjM5NjgyZDFmMzkx/MDYyNy5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}