One Decision. Decades of Impact. Get Your Social Security Strategy Right.

Andy Boettcher holds the Certified Social Security Strategist credential — one of fewer than a few hundred credentialed professionals in Ohio with this designation. When you're deciding when and how to claim Social Security, that credential is the difference between guessing and knowing.

The Claiming Decision Most People Get Wrong

Most people pick a claiming age based on what a coworker told them, or because 62 felt like a good time to start. That one decision — made without modeling your health, your spouse's benefit, or your Medicare premiums — can cost you $100,000 or more over your lifetime.

 

Social Security optimization isn't about waiting as long as possible. It's about running the right scenarios for your specific situation: your income, your health history, your spouse's work record, and the other retirement income sources you'll be drawing from. We do that math with you before you file — not after.


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Three Factors That Drive the Right Claiming Decision

Most advisors look at one: your age. We look at all three.

Your Health and Life Expectancy

Claiming at 62 versus 70 can mean a benefit difference of 75% or more per month. Whether that tradeoff works in your favor depends on how long you're likely to draw those checks. We help you think through that honestly — not optimistically, not pessimistically.

Spousal Benefit and Survivor Benefit Coordination

If you're married, your claiming decision affects your spouse's benefit for the rest of their life — including after you're gone. Survivor benefits are not automatic outcomes. They're the result of deliberate planning. We model both spouses' scenarios together and show you how the timing decisions interact before either of you files.

Social Security Income and Medicare IRMAA

Here's what most advisors don't mention: your Social Security income affects how much you pay for Medicare. When your combined retirement income crosses certain thresholds, Medicare applies income-related premium adjustments — called IRMAA — that can add hundreds of dollars per month to your Part B and Part D costs. We coordinate your Social Security timing with your Medicare planning in the same conversation, because they belong in the same plan.

Edge Cases That Affect More People Than You'd Think

If you worked a pension-eligible job — a government position, a school district, a union trade — your Social Security benefit may be reduced by provisions most advisors have never explained to you.

 

The Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) reduces Social Security benefits for workers who receive a pension from a job not covered by Social Security. The Government Pension Offset (GPO) can reduce or eliminate spousal and survivor benefits for the same reason. These rules affect a significant share of blue-collar and public-sector retirees in the Cincinnati tri-state area, and they're almost never discussed until after someone has already filed.

 

We identify whether WEP or GPO applies to your situation as part of the Social Security strategy process — before it becomes a surprise.

Why Cincinnati Pre-Retirees Work With A to Z on Social Security

  • Andy Boettcher holds the Certified Social Security Strategist credential — a designation held by fewer than a few hundred professionals in Ohio

 

  • 27 years in business serving pre-retirees and retirees across the Cincinnati metro area

 

  • We coordinate Social Security with Medicare, income planning, and estate planning under one roof — you don't have to piece it together from three different advisors

 

  • Spousal and survivor benefit modeling included for every married couple

 

  • WEP and GPO analysis for pension recipients and government workers

 

  • No fee for the conversation — we work with you as part of a comprehensive retirement planning relationship

What Our Social Security Optimization Process Looks Like

We use our Discuss, Design, Deliver process to work through your Social Security strategy:

1. Discuss

We start by understanding your full picture — your work history, your spouse's work record, your health, your other income sources, and when you're planning to retire. There's no form to fill out before we talk.

2. Design

We model multiple claiming scenarios side by side: early, full retirement age, delayed, and coordinated spousal strategies. We show you the lifetime income difference between each option in plain numbers.

3. Deliver

You leave with a clear recommendation, a written strategy, and a coordinated plan that connects your Social Security timing to your Medicare enrollment and your broader income plan.

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Common Questions About Social Security Claiming

  • Should my spouse and I claim Social Security at the same time?

    Rarely. In most cases, coordinating your claiming ages — rather than filing simultaneously — produces significantly more lifetime income and a stronger survivor benefit for whoever lives longer. The right strategy depends on both of your work records, ages, and health. We model it both ways and show you the difference.

  • What happens to my Social Security benefit if I claim early?

    Claiming before your full retirement age permanently reduces your monthly benefit. If your full retirement age is 67 and you claim at 62, your benefit is reduced by up to 30%. That reduction doesn't go away when you reach 67 — it follows you for the rest of your life. For some people, claiming early still makes sense. For others, it's a significant long-term cost. The only way to know is to run the numbers for your specific situation.

  • How does Social Security income affect my Medicare premium?

    Social Security income counts toward your modified adjusted gross income, which Medicare uses to determine whether you owe income-related premium adjustments — known as IRMAA. If your combined income from Social Security, retirement accounts, and other sources crosses certain thresholds, your Medicare Part B and Part D premiums increase, sometimes substantially. Coordinating your Social Security timing with your Medicare enrollment is one of the reasons we handle both in the same planning conversation. I worked for a government employer — does that change my Social Security benefit? It may. If you receive a pension from a job that wasn't covered by Social Security, the Windfall Elimination Provision can reduce your Social Security benefit. If your spouse worked in a covered job, the Government Pension Offset may reduce or eliminate the spousal or survivor benefit you'd otherwise receive. These provisions apply to many public school employees, municipal workers, and certain union trades. We identify whether they apply to you before you file. What's the difference between claiming Social Security at 62 versus 70? The monthly benefit difference can exceed 75%. But the right answer isn't simply "wait as long as possible." It depends on your health, your other income sources, your spouse's situation, and how Social Security interacts with your Medicare costs. Our job is to show you what each scenario actually produces in lifetime income — and help you make the decision that fits your plan.