The Social Security Question Early-Retiring NPs get wrong

You retired from full-time practice, kept a couple of PRN shifts a month, and now you're looking at claiming Social Security at 62. It feels like the easy part of the plan. For most nurse practitioners and CRNAs, it isn't.In this episode, Brett Fellows, CFP®, breaks down the Social Security earnings test, the permanent benefit cut that comes with claiming at 62, the survivor benefit floor it sets for a spouse, and the ACA subsidy cliff that can turn one claiming decision into a much larger household cost.Brett covers:Why tapering into PRN work turns a simple claiming decision into a three-variable oneThe Social Security earnings test: how much you can earn before benefits get withheld, and why that money isn't gone foreverThe permanent 30% reduction tied to claiming at 62, and why it never resets once the PRN shifts stopHow a higher earner's claiming age sets the survivor benefit floor for a spouse, walked through with real numbersThe ACA subsidy cliff at 400% of the federal poverty level, and how a Social Security check can push a household over itA three-number framework to run before you file for benefitsKey Timestamps:(0:18) Retiring early, staying on with PRN shifts, and the pull toward claiming at 62(1:41) Why two-variable Social Security models fail for tapering retirees(3:05) The Social Security earnings test and the $24,480 limit for 2026(5:40) The permanent 30% reduction tied to claiming at 62(8:02) How your claiming age sets your spouse's survivor benefit floor(11:47) The ACA subsidy cliff and the 400% federal poverty line(15:06) How provisional income affects the taxation of your benefit(16:45) When claiming early can genuinely be the right call(18:51) The decision tree: three variables, not two(22:59) The three numbers to estimate before you file(24:00) Why a full scenario comparison beats a generic rule of thumb(26:02) Closing thoughts and how to schedule a conversation with BrettFor more information and resources related to this episode, please visit the show notes.