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Non-Tech : Kirk's Market Thoughts -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Kirk © who wrote (26300)

10/24/2025 10:47:03 AM

From: Kirk ©

Respond to of 26384

More SS Details with tables I calculated at:

kirklindstrom.blogspot.com

I read and hear a lot of nonsense about how the rich "don't pay their fair share" but as someone on Medicare, I'm grateful for those making $1M a year who pay 2.9% ($29,000 per million) of that into Medicare.

I am also not looking forward to having to pay many times more than what I paid this year as Medicare charges go up when you start taking money from your tax deferred IRAs! They did not warn us of this huge tax hit when we were saving... fortunately, I figured it out long ago and stopped contributing in 1998... but my trading and investments have done so well that I'm going to still get hit. Thus I'm taking distributions early to either convert to my ROTH or spend on remodeling.

ssa.gov

Individuals with a MAGI less than or equal to $106,000
Married couples with a MAGI of $212,000 or less 2025 standard premium = $185.00

Individuals with a MAGI above $200,000 and less than $500,000
Married couples with a MAGI above $400,000 and less than $750,000 Standard premium + $406.90

Also, we forget that the base rate subject to the combined 15.3% (16.2% if you make over $200K) total Payroll Tax goes up faster than inflation each year.

For 2026, the base rate will go up 4.8% to $184,500 while the COLA was "only" 2.8%.

To: Kirk © who wrote (26300)	10/24/2025 12:31:37 PM
From: ajtj99	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 26384

I could be wrong, but it is possible that $184.5k/year may be middle income for Silicon Valley, SFO, Palm Beach, FL, and Manhattan, but probably not just about every other place in the US. You could ask people on your thread if they consider $184,500k middle income. You could also easily check this by using the median income of any community in the USA to check this. For example, median income for Des Moines, IA is $38,447. For Shreveport, LA, median income is $28,635. For Stockton, CA, median income is $34,779. For Beverly Hills, CA, median income is $70,268.