Frequently asked questions

What is RetireRebel?

A retirement education and planning app that turns your inputs into a year-by-year roadmap. It shows tradeoffs around work, spending, Social Security, taxes, Medicare, housing, care, and survivor planning without pretending one answer fits everyone.

Open the roadmap starter

Is this financial advice?

No. RetireRebel is educational software, not a fiduciary, CPA, attorney, insurer, broker, or the Social Security Administration. It can show modeled tradeoffs and point you to official resources. A licensed professional confirms decisions you are about to act on.

Do I need to link my bank accounts?

No. You can type values yourself. If you upload a statement, the app reads it to help fill the roadmap and discards the document instead of storing it.

Can couples use it?

Yes. Couple mode models two people, including coordinated Social Security timing, survivor income, taxes, Medicare, different work or retirement dates, and either spouse dying first in the survivor view.

When should I claim Social Security?

Compare the ages in your roadmap. Claiming earlier gives income sooner and a smaller check. Waiting can raise the inflation-adjusted check and may protect a survivor. The right comparison includes taxes, savings withdrawals, health, work plans, and spouse impact.

Compare claiming ages

What if I keep working after I claim?

Before full retirement age, earned income can trigger the SSA earnings test and temporarily withhold checks above annual limits. After full retirement age, that test stops. Withdrawals, pensions, and investment income do not count for that specific earnings test, though they can still affect taxes and Medicare costs.

Do child or dependent Social Security benefits belong in my plan?

They might, but SSA decides eligibility and the official amount. RetireRebel explains the planning issue and routes you to SSA; it does not calculate a child or dependent benefit. Once SSA confirms income, add it to your roadmap.

Find official help

Sources: Official Social Security dependent-benefit help

What should I do if I am turning 70 and have not filed?

Waiting past age 70 does not increase a retirement benefit. Put filing on your Timeline, check your official SSA estimate, and decide how that income fits the rest of the roadmap. RetireRebel can remind and model; it does not file for you.

Add this to my Timeline

Sources: SSA apply for benefits

Does RetireRebel always fill a tax bracket with Roth conversions?

No. A good Roth year depends on the year, amount, reason, tax source, Social Security taxation, IRMAA, ACA effects, and the rest of the plan. A zero conversion can be the right modeled result.

Where should the Roth conversion tax come from?

Compare feasible sources you actually have: cash, brokerage, IRA withholding, or a smaller conversion. Each gives something up. RetireRebel should show the tradeoff, not announce that outside funds always win.

Is there a universal withdrawal order?

No. Taxable-first can be a useful baseline, but it is not a law of nature. The best sequence can change with RMDs, capital gains, Social Security taxation, Medicare thresholds, survivor planning, and what you want to preserve.

Can I take Roth money out before 59 and a half?

Roth dollars have layers. Regular contributions, conversions, and earnings follow different ordering and five-year rules. Ask the Rebel can explain the layers, but a tax professional should confirm a withdrawal before you act.

Ask the Rebel about my numbers

Does delaying Social Security delay Medicare?

No. Medicare has its own deadlines around 65 unless an exception applies. Someone waiting until 70 for Social Security still needs to handle Medicare separately.

Can RetireRebel tell me which Medicare plan to buy?

No. It can explain Original Medicare, Medigap, Medicare Advantage, Part D, IRMAA, and broad cost tradeoffs. Plan selection depends on doctors, drugs, networks, and local quotes. SHIP can give free official counseling.

Does Medicare cover long-term care?

Generally not ongoing custodial care. Medicare can cover some short-term skilled care under rules. Medicaid and VA programs have their own eligibility rules, which RetireRebel does not decide.

Can RetireRebel model selling my home?

It can model sale price, mortgage payoff, selling costs, taxable gain when basis is entered, and supported transfer taxes. It cannot know your actual buyer terms or every local fee unless entered or present in the registry.

Can it tell me if I qualify for Medicaid, VA, or local caregiver programs?

No. It can explain the program family, point to official resources, and model confirmed payments or costs. Eligibility comes from the program, state, VA, or local agency.

What happens financially if my spouse dies first?

Use the survivor view. It can show one Social Security check instead of two, changed pension or annuity income if entered, taxes, expenses, and survivor cash flow. Legal ownership and benefit eligibility still need official or professional confirmation.

What does the Optimizer do?

It works backward from a goal and tests supported levers, such as spending, work, saving, claim age, Roth conversions, and moving when those levers are enabled. It finds modeled paths, not a single correct life choice.

Can it optimize my life before my taxes?

Yes, in the sense that you can start with life goals first: retire earlier, work less, spend more while active, help family, or make room for The Next 30. Then compare what the tax plan looks like around that life.

Try this in The Optimizer

Can it solve my maximum first-10-years spending?

Yes. The Optimizer can solve the extra annual spending your first 10 retirement years can support while preserving the confidence target you choose and protecting later baseline spending. RetireRebel should not treat 90% as a universal safe line.

Try this in the Optimizer

What can it calculate?

Year-by-year cash flow, modeled readiness, taxes from supported federal and state rules, Social Security timing, Medicare cost effects, RMDs, Roth conversions, home-sale pieces, care scenarios, survivor scenarios, work episodes, and supported timelines.

What is education-only?

Education-only means the app can explain the concept and route you to a trustworthy source, but the engine does not calculate a personalized result yet. Examples include official program eligibility, exact child/dependent Social Security awards, and choosing a specific Medicare plan.

What happens when a rule is missing or stale?

The app should say the rule is missing or needs verification instead of making up an answer. The source manifest flags annual refreshes, state-sensitive rules, and stale triggers.

Do you sell my data?

No. RetireRebel is built without ads or data sales.

What happens to uploaded documents?

Uploaded documents are read to extract values and then discarded. They are not stored as a document library.

Where do rule numbers come from?

From source-stamped registries and the editorial source manifest. Official government sources are preferred for federal and state rules, with fallback sources listed when the official source is not enough.

How certain are the projections?

They are planning estimates, not promises. They depend on your inputs, assumptions, market paths, inflation, rules, and future choices. Use them to compare decisions, then confirm before acting.