More From Your Pension

2d ago

When Roth Conversions Might Be the Wrong Move

Work with me: https://farerfinancial.com/get-started You've probably heard it before — don't bother with a Roth conversion. And here's the thing: for some people, that advice is actually right. But most people who hear it just take it at face value. They never ask why. And when you don't understand why, one of two things happens — you skip conversions entirely and miss a real opportunity, or you convert at exactly the wrong time and pay more in taxes than you ever needed to. Almost every piece of retirement advice you've come across was built on one assumption: that your income is going to drop in retirement. For most Americans, that's true. For pension holders, a lot of you are going to have more income in retirement than you do right now. That changes everything about how you think about conversions — and it's exactly why the generic advice doesn't automatically apply to you. In this episode, Cole walks through five specific reasons a Roth conversion might not make sense for a public employee with a pension — so you can figure out which ones actually apply to your situation, and which ones are the signal that you should be converting right now. Topics covered: Why most "skip the Roth conversion" advice was built for someone without a pension — and why that mattersHow to evaluate whether your pre-tax balance is actually large enough to create an RMD problem laterWhen your current income is higher than your retirement income will be — and why that changes the conversion mathThe state tax angle most people miss entirely when thinking about conversion timingWhy still being at work doesn't mean your conversion window is open — and what it means to wait for the right windowThe 457(b) planning advantage public employees have that private sector workers simply don'tHow your children's tax brackets affect whether converting is actually the right move for your familyThe SECURE Act 10-year rule and when inheriting a traditional IRA isn't actually the tax problem people assume it isThis episode is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute personalized investment, tax, legal, or insurance advice. Viewing this content does not create an advisory relationship. The strategies and examples discussed are hypothetical and for illustrative purposes only. Always consult a qualified professional regarding your specific situation.Farer Financial LLC is a Registered Investment Adviser registered with the Washington State Department of Financial Institutions.

11 min

3d ago

3 Numbers That Change How Public Employees Think About Retirement

Work with me: https://farerfinancial.com/get-started You spent 25, maybe 30 years doing one of the hardest jobs in this country. And now you're waiting. Waiting for the right number, the right moment, the right permission slip that says it's okay to go. This episode is about three statistics that reframe that decision entirely. For most public employees watching this, the question isn't whether you can afford to retire. It's whether you're going to have the health to enjoy it when you finally do. The average American has 63.1 years of genuinely healthy living — not life expectancy, healthy years. And for teachers, firefighters, law enforcement, and other public sector workers whose careers are documented to accelerate chronic conditions and cardiovascular disease, that number may be generous. In this episode, Cole walks through three statistics every public employee should see before waiting another year — the healthy years number that changes how you think about timing, the 20,800 hours you reclaim by retiring when the numbers say you can instead of when the anxiety says you're ready, and the research finding that nearly half of all retirees never spend what they built. Topics covered: The 63.1 healthy years statistic and what it means for people whose careers were physically and emotionally demandingThe documented health consequences of high-stress public sector careers — teachers, firefighters, law enforcement — and what the research actually showsWhat 20,800 hours looks like in real terms — days with family, travel, the things that require energy and health, not just moneyWhy the discipline that made public employees exceptional at their careers is the same thing keeping many of them working longer than they need toThe NBER finding that 46% of Americans die with the same or higher net worth than when they retired — and why the most responsible savers are most at riskWhy a pension gives you guaranteed income for life but doesn't automatically give you permission to spend itWhat a real retirement plan actually does — not just protecting against running out of money, but showing you what you can actually useThis episode is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute personalized investment, tax, legal, or insurance advice. Viewing this content does not create an advisory relationship. The strategies and examples discussed are hypothetical and for illustrative purposes only. Always consult a qualified professional regarding your specific situation.Farer Financial LLC is a Registered Investment Adviser registered with the Washington State Department of Financial Institutions.

9 min

4d ago

The ACA Subsidy Cliff: What Every Pension Holder Needs to Know

Work with me: https://farerfinancial.com/get-started If you have a pension and you're planning to retire before 65, there is a healthcare trap most pension holders are walking right into — and your pension is the exact thing that makes you more exposed to it than almost anyone else. A 63-year-old couple in West Virginia was paying $300 a month for their Gold health insurance plan. In 2026, that same plan costs them $4,562 a month — because their income went $400 over a specific threshold. That's the ACA subsidy cliff. And it doesn't care how close you were to the edge. Here's what nobody is saying to pension holders specifically: your pension income is quietly pushing you toward that edge every single month before you've made a single spending decision. Most ACA advice assumes you start from zero income in retirement. You don't. Your pension starts your income clock the day that first payment hits, and you cannot turn it off. In this episode, Cole walks through exactly how the cliff works, why pension holders are uniquely exposed to it, what going over actually costs in real dollar terms, and the two frameworks that matter most for managing it — threading the needle during the ACA years and opening up the conversion window once Medicare starts. Topics covered: How the ACA subsidy cliff works and what the 2026 threshold means for early retireesWhy pension holders can't engineer their income from zero the way private sector retirees canA real case study — Tom and Linda — showing exactly how pension income limits the margin before the cliffWhat an accidental cliff crossing actually costs over the pre-Medicare windowWhy the 403(b) and the brokerage account work completely differently for MAGI managementThe two-phase framework: protecting the subsidy in the ACA years and using the Medicare window before RMDs arriveWhy the compounding pre-tax balance building during the ACA years creates a larger tax problem at 75 if nothing is doneThis episode is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute personalized investment, tax, legal, or insurance advice. Viewing this content does not create an advisory relationship. The strategies and examples discussed are hypothetical and for illustrative purposes only. Always consult a qualified professional regarding your specific situation.Farer Financial LLC is a Registered Investment Adviser registered with the Washington State Department of Financial Institutions.

15 min

5d ago

Your Pension Broke The Rules. A Full Guide To Roth Conversions

Work with me: https://farerfinancial.com/get-started If you have a pension and you've been watching retirement content online, you've probably heard two completely opposite things — do Roth conversions, or don't bother because you'll be in a lower bracket in retirement anyway. Here's the problem with both of those takes: neither one was built for you. The rules are completely different when you have a pension. This episode covers all fifteen things pension holders need to understand about Roth conversions — the foundation, the timing window, the guardrails that can break a good plan, the specific cases where conversions matter more or less, and the long-game considerations most people never hear about until it's too late. Your pension shows up every month whether you need it or not. When Social Security turns on and the IRS forces required distributions on top of that, you're stacking three taxable income sources at once. For pension holders who saved well, income in retirement can end up higher than the final working years — not because anything went wrong, but because nobody walked them through what that stacking actually looks like. Topics covered: Why your pension size is the variable that changes the entire Roth conversion conversationThe income stack problem — how pension, Social Security, and RMDs layer on top of each otherThe golden window between retirement and RMDs and why most people don't know it existsHow Social Security timing and Roth conversion planning interact and must be modeled togetherIRMAA — the Medicare surcharge cliff that surprises pension holders mostWhy over-converting is a real mistake and what the right balance actually looks likeThe 457(b) advantage for public employees retiring before 59½The widow's penalty — how bracket compression after a spouse's death changes the urgency of conversionsWhat your children's tax brackets have to do with how aggressively you should convertWhy the goal is tax diversification, not a zero pre-tax balanceThis episode is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute personalized investment, tax, legal, or insurance advice. Viewing this content does not create an advisory relationship. The strategies and examples discussed are hypothetical and for illustrative purposes only. Always consult a qualified professional regarding your specific situation.Farer Financial LLC is a Registered Investment Adviser registered with the Washington State Department of Financial Institutions.

18 min

6d ago

4 Retirement Statistics Every Pension Holder Should Know

Work with me: https://farerfinancial.com/get-started Most public employees assume their pension means they're ahead of the game. And honestly, they probably are. But there are four statistics that almost nobody in their position has ever seen side by side — and once you see them together, the way you think about your retirement shifts completely. This episode isn't about whether you have a pension. It's about whether you actually know what your full retirement picture looks like — how far ahead you are, and what's quietly working against you at the same time. The median retirement savings for Americans aged 55 to 64 is $185,000. If you're a public employee with a pension and a 403(b) or 457, you're likely miles ahead of that number. But having more saved in pre-tax accounts creates its own problem — one that sneaks up quietly around age 73 when the IRS stops waiting. Your pension fills your tax bracket before you touch a single investment. Add forced distributions on top of that, and people who did everything right start paying taxes they never saw coming. In this episode, Cole walks through four statistics every public employee should understand — what they mean individually, and what they mean when you see them stacked together. Topics covered: Why the median retirement savings for Americans near retirement is $185,000 — and what that means for pension holders who saved wellWhy nearly 1 in 3 people retire before 60, and why public employees can choose to be one of themThe gap between pension eligibility and retirement readiness — and why most people confuse the twoWhy the median actual retirement age is 62 while workers expect 65, and what that gap costsHow pre-tax account balances create a growing RMD obligation that stacks on top of pension incomeIRMAA — how Medicare premiums can jump significantly based on income, and why pension households hit those thresholds faster than they expectThe planning window between pension eligibility and RMD age and how to use it intentionallyThis episode is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute personalized investment, tax, legal, or insurance advice. Viewing this content does not create an advisory relationship. The strategies and examples discussed are hypothetical and for illustrative purposes only. Always consult a qualified professional regarding your specific situation.Farer Financial LLC is a Registered Investment Adviser registered with the Washington State Department of Financial Institutions.

9 min

Jun 10

ACA Subsidies or Roth Conversions. What Is Better for Pension Holders?

Work with me: https://farerfinancial.com/get-started If you have a pension and you're retiring before 65, you've probably heard two things that sound like they're in direct conflict: protect your ACA subsidy to keep healthcare costs low, and do Roth conversions now while taxes are on sale. For most pension holders, doing one seems to blow up the other — so they freeze, protect the subsidy, skip the conversions, and quietly build a larger tax problem without realizing it. This episode is about why that's a sequencing decision, not an either/or decision — and why your pension changes the math in a way almost nobody talks about. Most ACA subsidy advice assumes you're starting from zero income in retirement. You're not. Your pension puts income into your MAGI before you do anything else. That changes what the ACA window actually looks like for you, how much room you have for conversions before hitting the cliff, and what the real cost of doing nothing on conversions actually is while the subsidy feels comfortable. In this episode, Cole walks through how ACA subsidies work for pension holders specifically, the three paths available in the pre-Medicare window and what each one actually costs, why the Medicare window between 65 and RMD age is where the real conversion work happens, and the questions every pension holder should be asking before deciding how to sequence this. Topics covered: How ACA marketplace subsidies work and what the 2026 cliff means for early retireesWhy your pension creates a mandatory MAGI floor that changes the subsidy calculation entirelyThe tax problem building quietly while subsidy protection feels like the right callThree paths through the pre-Medicare window — full subsidy protection, aggressive conversions, and threading the needleWhy the Medicare window between 65 and RMD age is the most underutilized stretch in pension holder retirement planningIRMAA considerations in both the ACA years and the Medicare windowThe six questions every pension holder should be asking about their specific conversion pictureThis episode is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute personalized investment, tax, legal, or insurance advice. Viewing this content does not create an advisory relationship. The strategies and examples discussed are hypothetical and for illustrative purposes only. Always consult a qualified professional regarding your specific situation.Farer Financial LLC is a Registered Investment Adviser registered with the Washington State Department of Financial Institutions.

16 min

Jun 9

Delaying Social Security Hits Different With a Pension

Work with me: https://farerfinancial.com/get-started Most people think claiming Social Security at 62 is the smart move — get your money early, don't leave it on the table. But if you're a public employee with a pension and a large pre-tax balance, claiming early could be one of the most expensive decisions you make in retirement. For pension holders, the Social Security timing decision isn't really about income. Your pension already handles that. It's about taxes — specifically, protecting the bracket room that lets you move money out of your pre-tax accounts before the IRS forces you to do it on their timeline. Every year Social Security is off, that window stays open. The moment you turn it on, it shrinks permanently. In this episode, Cole breaks down why delaying Social Security can be the most powerful financial decision a public employee makes — the permanent income increase that compounds through every cost-of-living adjustment for the rest of your life, how Social Security timing directly affects your Roth conversion window, the RMD pile-up that hits when pension, Social Security, and forced withdrawals stack together, the Medicare surcharge that becomes harder to avoid once Social Security turns on, and the survivor benefit math that matters more than most people realize now that WEP and GPO have been repealed. Topics covered: Why the Social Security timing decision is a tax question, not an income question, for pension holdersThe 8% annual delayed credit and how it compounds through inflation adjustments over decadesHow turning on Social Security shrinks your Roth conversion window and raises the cost of every conversionThe RMD collision — pension, Social Security, and forced withdrawals stacking as a single taxable eventIRMAA and why keeping Social Security off creates more room to convert without triggering Medicare surchargesThe survivor benefit case for delaying — especially now that WEP and GPO are goneWhy pension holders are less portfolio-dependent than private sector retirees during the gap yearsWhen claiming early is still the right call — health, breakeven math, and portfolio growth considerationsThis episode is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute personalized investment, tax, legal, or insurance advice. Viewing this content does not create an advisory relationship. The strategies and examples discussed are hypothetical and for illustrative purposes only. Always consult a qualified professional regarding your specific situation.Farer Financial LLC is a Registered Investment Adviser registered with the Washington State Department of Financial Instances.

11 min

Jun 8

How To Actually Do a Roth Conversion (Step By Step)

Work with me: https://farerfinancial.com/get-started You've heard why Roth conversions matter for pension holders. This episode is about how to actually do one — the steps, the forms, the questions that trip people up, and the one field on the conversion form that can cost you real money if you answer it wrong. Most how-to videos on Roth conversions skip the part that matters most for public employees: your pension is already filling part of your tax bracket before you convert a single dollar. Knowing how much room you actually have is the step that makes everything else straightforward — and pension holders have an advantage here that most people don't, because the pension creates a predictable income floor you can actually plan around. In this episode, Cole walks through the full process step by step — where the money needs to be before you can convert it, why 403(b) and 457(b) accounts follow slightly different paths, the withholding question on the conversion form and why most people answer it wrong, the irreversibility of a Roth conversion and why rushing the paperwork is the one mistake you cannot undo, and when in the year to actually pull the trigger. Topics covered: How to calculate your bracket room before converting anythingThe 403(b) vs. 457(b) path to a Roth IRA — and why they're differentThe critical 457(b) trap for anyone under 59½ considering a rolloverThe step-by-step mechanics of executing a conversion at your custodianThe withholding question — what it means and which answer keeps more money in the RothWhy Roth conversions are irreversible and what that means for how carefully you fill out the formThe optimal timing window within the year for pension holdersThis episode is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute personalized investment, tax, legal, or insurance advice. Viewing this content does not create an advisory relationship. The strategies and examples discussed are hypothetical and for illustrative purposes only. Always consult a qualified professional regarding your specific situation.Farer Financial LLC is a Registered Investment Adviser registered with the Washington State Department of Financial Institutions.

9 min

More From Your Pension

Episodes

When Roth Conversions Might Be the Wrong Move

3 Numbers That Change How Public Employees Think About Retirement

The ACA Subsidy Cliff: What Every Pension Holder Needs to Know

Your Pension Broke The Rules. A Full Guide To Roth Conversions

4 Retirement Statistics Every Pension Holder Should Know

ACA Subsidies or Roth Conversions. What Is Better for Pension Holders?

Delaying Social Security Hits Different With a Pension

How To Actually Do a Roth Conversion (Step By Step)

About

Information