Social Security Optimization:
Maximizing Your Benefits in Arizona and Wisconsin
We Serve people in Scottsdale, AZ, Brookfield & Johnson Creek Wisconsin
Social Security Optimization Services
Planning your Social Security benefits doesn’t have to feel overwhelming.
At Family Wealth Advisors, we help individuals and couples in Scottsdale, Arizona, Brookfield, and Johnson Creek, Wisconsin make smart decisions about when and how to claim their benefits.
Our advisors Jeffrey J. Biro, W. Ryan Zenk, and Michael Wendt specialize in Social Security strategies that work specifically for Arizona and Wisconsin residents.
We’ll help you understand your options, coordinate with Medicare, and plan for the tax implications—all as part of your broader retirement strategy.
Whether you’re 55 and just starting to think about retirement or approaching 70 and need to make claiming decisions soon, we’ll create a personalized plan that fits your unique situation and goals.
Your Social Security Claiming Strategy
Every person’s Social Security situation is different.
That’s why we start by looking at your complete financial picture before recommending when and how you should claim your benefits.
Timing Your Benefits for Maximum Value
You can start claiming Social Security as early as age 62, but that means accepting permanently reduced benefits.
Your “full retirement age” is likely between 66 and 67, depending on when you were born.
If you can wait until age 70, your monthly payments will be significantly higher thanks to delayed retirement credits.
We help you figure out the best age to claim based on your health, other income sources, and financial needs.
For our Arizona and Wisconsin clients, we also consider state-specific factors that might influence this decision.
Coordinating Benefits for Married Couples
If you’re married, your Social Security strategy becomes more complex—but also offers more opportunities.
You might be eligible for spousal benefits, which can provide up to 50% of your spouse’s benefit amount.
Survivor benefits ensure the surviving spouse continues receiving income after one partner passes away.
We analyze both spouses’ earnings records and help you coordinate your claiming strategy to maximize your household’s total Social Security income throughout retirement.
Personalized Planning for Your Goals
Your Social Security strategy should align with your overall retirement vision.
We consider your health, family longevity, other retirement income, and your plans for how you want to spend your retirement years.
We also make sure your Social Security plan coordinates smoothly with Medicare enrollment and minimizes your tax burden in either Arizona or Wisconsin.
Maximizing Spousal and Survivor Benefits
Married couples—and even some divorced individuals—have additional Social Security options that can significantly boost their retirement income when used strategically.
Making the Most of Spousal Benefits
If you’re married, you may be able to claim benefits based on your spouse’s work record instead of your own.
This is especially valuable if you had lower earnings during your career or took time off to raise children.
The key details: You can claim spousal benefits starting at age 62, but you’ll receive more if you wait until your full retirement age.
Your spouse must have already filed for their own benefits before you can claim spousal benefits.
Special Situations: Divorce and Widowhood
If you’re divorced, you might still be eligible for benefits based on your ex-spouse’s record—as long as you were married for at least 10 years and you’re currently unmarried.
The good news is that claiming these benefits doesn’t reduce what your ex-spouse receives.
For widow and widowers: You can claim survivor benefits as early as age 60 (or 50 if you’re disabled).
The amount depends on your deceased spouse’s earnings record and when you start claiming.
Often, it makes sense to start survivor benefits early and let your own benefits grow until age 70.
Timing Strategy for Couples
The best approach for couples often involves staggering when each spouse claims benefits.
For example, one spouse might claim early while the other delays to age 70 for maximum benefits.
We help you coordinate: Your combined life expectancy, other retirement income sources, and health considerations to determine the optimal timing for your family’s situation.
State-Specific Considerations for Arizona and Wisconsin
Where you live in retirement affects how much of your Social Security benefits you’ll actually keep.
We help clients in both Arizona and Wisconsin understand their state’s unique advantages and challenges.
Arizona: A Social Security-Friendly State
One of Arizona’s biggest retirement advantages is that the state doesn’t tax Social Security benefits.
This means more money stays in your pocket compared to many other states.
Arizona residents also benefit from a variety of Medicare Advantage plans and healthcare options designed for retirees.
We help our Scottsdale clients understand how these healthcare choices interact with their Social Security planning.
The lower cost of living in many Arizona areas can also make your Social Security benefits stretch further, which we factor into your overall retirement planning strategy.
Wisconsin: Planning Around State Taxes
Unlike Arizona, Wisconsin does tax Social Security benefits, which requires more careful planning to minimize your overall tax burden in retirement.
However, Wisconsin offers other advantages, including generally lower healthcare costs and strong community support systems for retirees.
We help our Brookfield and Johnson Creek clients navigate these trade-offs.
Understanding Wisconsin’s tax rules helps us structure your retirement income—including Social Security, 401(k) withdrawals, and other sources—to keep you in the most favorable tax situation possible.
Local Expertise Across Three Locations
Our team serves clients in three distinct communities, each with its own character and considerations. Jeffrey J. Biro and W. Ryan Zenk work with families in Scottsdale, Arizona, while W. Ryan Zenk also serves clients in Brookfield, Wisconsin, and Michael Wendt focuses on Johnson Creek, Wisconsin.
This local presence means we understand the specific economic conditions, healthcare options, and lifestyle factors that affect retirement planning in each area.
We’re not just familiar with the rules—we know how they apply to real families in your community.
Coordinating Social Security with Medicare
Your Social Security and Medicare decisions are closely connected, and getting the timing right can save you money and provide better healthcare coverage.
Understanding Automatic Medicare Enrollment
If you’re already receiving Social Security when you turn 65, you’ll automatically be enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B.
But if you haven’t started Social Security yet, you’ll need to sign up for Medicare during your Initial Enrollment Period to avoid late penalties.
We help you coordinate these decisions so you don’t miss important deadlines or pay unnecessary penalties.
This is especially important for our Arizona and Wisconsin clients who may have different healthcare needs and options.
How Your Claiming Age Affects Medicare Costs
Delaying Social Security can increase your monthly benefits, but it might also affect your Medicare premiums later.
Higher-income retirees pay more for Medicare Parts B and D through something called IRMAA (Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount).
We help you understand how your Social Security strategy might affect these future healthcare costs, so you can make informed decisions about timing that consider both your monthly benefits and potential Medicare expenses.
Planning for Supplemental Coverage
Original Medicare doesn’t cover everything, which is why many retirees choose Medigap insurance or Medicare Advantage plans to fill the gaps.
These decisions should coordinate with your Social Security planning.
Our advisors in Arizona and Wisconsin are familiar with the healthcare options available in each state, helping you choose supplemental coverage that works with your overall retirement budget and Social Security income.
Minimizing Taxes on Your Social Security Benefits
Many retirees are surprised to learn that their Social Security benefits might be taxable. Smart planning can help you keep more of what you’ve earned.
Understanding Social Security Taxation
Whether your Social Security benefits are taxed depends on your “combined income”—which includes your adjusted gross income, nontaxable interest, and half of your Social Security benefits.
Depending on this total, up to 85% of your benefits could be subject to federal taxes.
We help you plan withdrawal strategies from your retirement accounts that can keep your combined income below the thresholds where Social Security becomes taxable.
This might include using Roth IRA conversions or carefully timing other retirement account withdrawals.
Coordinating All Your Retirement Income
Smart tax planning looks at all your retirement income sources together.
We help you create a withdrawal strategy that balances taxable accounts (like traditional 401(k)s), tax-free accounts (like Roth IRAs), and Social Security to minimize your overall tax burden.
For Wisconsin residents, this planning is especially important since the state taxes Social Security benefits.
For Arizona residents, the focus is more on federal tax planning and optimizing other income sources.
Why Work with Family Wealth Advisors
Social Security planning isn’t just about maximizing your monthly check—it’s about creating a retirement income strategy that gives you confidence and peace of mind.
Fee-Only, Always Acting in Your Best Interest
As a fee-only firm, we don’t sell insurance or investment products for commissions.
Our only compensation comes from the fees you pay us for advice, which means our recommendations are always based on what’s best for your situation.
This fiduciary approach means you can trust that our Social Security recommendations are designed solely to benefit you and your family, not to generate additional revenue for our firm.
Experienced Advisors Who Know Your Area
Jeffrey J. Biro and W. Ryan Zenk bring years of experience helping Arizona families navigate Social Security decisions. W. Ryan Zenk and Michael Wendt understand the unique considerations facing Wisconsin retirees.
Our advisors stay current on Social Security rule changes and understand how these federal programs interact with state-specific factors in Arizona and Wisconsin.
This local expertise helps ensure your strategy is optimized for where you actually live and retire.
Comprehensive Retirement Planning
We don’t just help with Social Security in isolation. Our approach integrates your Social Security strategy with your overall retirement plan, including investment management, tax planning, estate planning, and healthcare considerations.
This comprehensive approach ensures that your Social Security decisions support your broader retirement goals and work seamlessly with all your other income sources and financial strategies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to the most common questions we hear from families planning their Social Security strategy.
When should I start planning my Social Security claiming strategy?
We recommend starting your Social Security planning around age 55, which gives you plenty of time to understand your options and coordinate with your other retirement planning. However, it’s never too late to optimize your strategy—even if you’re already in your 60s.
How do spousal benefits work, and can they increase our household Social Security income?
Spousal benefits allow you to claim up to 50% of your spouse’s Social Security benefit if that’s higher than your own benefit. We help couples coordinate their claiming strategies to maximize total household income, which often involves strategic timing of when each spouse files.
How do Arizona and Wisconsin state taxes affect my Social Security planning?
Arizona doesn’t tax Social Security benefits, which is a significant advantage for retirees. Wisconsin does tax these benefits, so we focus more on strategies to minimize overall tax burden for our Wisconsin clients. Both states have other factors—like healthcare costs and living expenses—that we consider in your planning.
Do you help coordinate Social Security with Medicare enrollment?
Absolutely. The timing of Social Security and Medicare enrollment is closely connected, and making mistakes can be costly. We help ensure you meet all the necessary deadlines and understand how your decisions about Social Security timing might affect your Medicare costs.
What’s the ideal age range for making Social Security claiming decisions?
Most people need to make their Social Security claiming decisions between ages 62 and 70. We typically recommend starting the planning process in your mid-50s so you have time to understand all your options and how they fit with your other retirement income sources.
How does comprehensive retirement planning improve my Social Security strategy?
Looking at Social Security as part of your complete financial picture—rather than in isolation—often reveals strategies you might miss otherwise. We consider your other income sources, tax situation, healthcare needs, and estate planning goals to create a Social Security strategy that supports your overall retirement vision.
Why Choose FWA
The FWA Team
Meet the Advisors Who Put Your Interests First
Jeffrey J. Biro, CEP, RFC
President
W. Ryan Zenk, JD, CFP®
Chief Executive Officer
John Oxenhandler
VP of Investment Operations
Mike Wendt
Registered Representative
Debbie Basom
New Client Services Director
