#219 - Q&A edition...paying down a mortgage vs paying tax on Roth conversions, Social Security survivor benefits, converting ALL pre-tax money to Roth, updating account beneficiaries, and MORE!

Listener Q&A where Andy talks about: Whether to use money in a 457b to pay down a mortgage or to pay taxes on Roth conversions ( 7:56 )How Social Security survivor benefits work, and the optimal ages for spouses to each claim their own Social Security ( 18:54 )His thoughts on why the Social Security trust fund hasn't been allowed to invest in equities ( 25:36 )Creating spreadsheets to replace financial planning software, and using it to help your ongoing retirement planning and projections ( 30:40 )His thoughts on whether someone should try to convert ALL of their pre-tax money to Roth ( 36:56 )Transferring/rolling money from an IRA to an HSA (Health Savings Account) ( 46:05 )Whether you have to start Medicare Part A if you start Social Security but are still covered by a spouse's employer's health insurance ( 49:18 )Updating beneficiaries on investment accounts after one of the beneficiaries passes ( 53:17 )His thoughts on whether comparing a portfolio's investment returns to those of the S&P 500 is appropriate, and whether it's okay to hold bonds as investments ( 58:22 )To send Andy questions to be addressed on future Q&A episodes, email [email protected]'s LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andypanko/Links in this episode:Tenon Financial's March 2026 newsletter - Gifting, annual gift exclusions, gift taxes and gift tax returns (IRS Form 709)Tenon Financial's March 2024 newsletter - Don't compare your portfolio's returns to those of the S&P 500Tenon Financial monthly newsletter/blog - Retirement Planning InsightsYouTube channel - Retirement Planning Education (formerly Retirement Planning Demystified)Retirement Planning Education website - www.RetirementPlanningEducation.com