The Truth About Social Security in Your Retirement Plan

Описание: Are you treating Social Security like an on/off switch instead of a key part of your retirement income plan? In this episode of Retirement Roadmap, Mark Fricks and Evan Fricks walk through how Social Security really works—and why the decision is about far more than just picking an age between 62 and 70. From misunderstood “full retirement age” rules to inflation, healthcare costs, and earned-income limits, they show how Social Security fits into the bigger picture of your retirement strategy.

Drawing on decades of retirement-planning and Social Security experience, Mark and Evan explain why the program was never designed to replace your full paycheck, how today’s disappearing pensions and rising healthcare costs widen your “income gap,” and what it really means when people say Social Security is “in trouble.” They’ll help you see how timing, taxes, Medicare, and spousal benefits all connect—and why one-size-fits-all advice from Google or the “water cooler” can be dangerous.

You’ll learn:

Why Social Security should be coordinated with your entire retirement plan, not treated as a standalone decision

What an income gap is—and how inflation and healthcare costs can make it grow over time

How Social Security is funded today, what’s happening with the trust fund, and what a potential future benefit cut could look like

Why cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) often lag behind real inflation—especially for essentials like groceries, power, and medical costs

How earned income rules work before full retirement age and why some retirees get surprise letters asking for money back

Ways timing your benefits can interact with IRA withdrawals, Roth conversions, and Medicare Part B/IRMAA surcharges

How married couples can think through survivor benefits and decide who should claim when

Why blanket advice like “everyone should take it at 62” or “everyone should wait until 70” almost never fits real-life situations

The truth is simple: Social Security can be a powerful foundation for retirement income—but only when it’s coordinated with your other assets, tax strategy, healthcare costs, and life expectancy. With intentional planning, you can turn Social Security from a source of confusion and fear into a steady part of your long-term retirement roadmap.

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Advisory services offered through MasterPlan Retirement Consultants, Inc., a Registered Investment Advisor in the state of Georgia. Insurance, tax and commodities services offered through Fricks and Associates, Inc. dba MasterPlan Retirement Consultants. The aforementioned are affiliated companies.