Money Talk: A retirement catch-22 and health savings accounts

To pay for their dream retirement home, a couple needs to tap their IRAs, but withdrawing the money will mean higher Medicare premiums. Answer: You have the right to appeal an increase in your premiums, but successful appeals usually require someone to have experienced a drop in income due to retirement, a spouse’s death or divorce, for example. Spreading the wealth in health savings accounts Dear Liz: I have a family health savings account with a qualifying high-deductible health insurance plan. More about health savings accounts and the ‘deathbed drawdown’ Dear Liz: I just read your column on HSA accounts. Answer: That’s certainly your prerogative, but financial planners note that good record keeping can allow those with large HSA balances to avoid an otherwise unnecessary tax bill.