How to Really Help Retirees

May this find you and your family in good health and great Halloween spirits with your Medicare Coverage working properly. Today’s question: How to really help retirees.

Plato wishes to report that the 60 mile an hour winds that blew “Ike the Spider” off of our roof have abated and Ike has returned to the front yard.

Plato and Ike_The Big 65 Medicare Insurance Broker

Those same winds filled two hundred yards of driveway in El Paso County, Colorado, six feet high with thousands of tumbleweeds (between the two green bushes). Clients Kathy and Wayne also had tumbleweeds to the top of their barn, crazy weather!

Tumbleweed Medicare insurance agent The Big 65 Medicare broker

The Annual Election Period can make you feel like you’re buried in Medicare tumbleweeds with all the telemarketers and commercials. But you just have to ignore them, or take a pitchfork to them. 

If you’re in the Low Country of South Carolina, you could ask Frank to get his Jack Russells on their tails. They’d be happy to chase the rascals.

Franks Jack Russells_friends of The Big 65

It’s a pleasure catching up with so many of you all over the country and hearing about the adventures in your lives.

Remember, if you’re happy with coverage and everything is working well, you can ignore all the noise out there, but if your feeling like a member of the … (see picture below)

Institute of Odd Persons_The Big 65 Medicare Insurance Broker

Book a time on my calendar. We’ll catch up, review your coverage, and perhaps you’ll be like Jean in Georgia and send me pictures of your adventures in Albuquerque at the balloon fest.

Balloons in Albequerque_TheBig65

Jean and a buddy at Balloon fest

How To Really Help Retirees

As we near the midterms, I received a fantastic suggestion from Marilu, an instructional materials designer in Ohio.

Marilu conceived of an idea that would reduce the labor shortage, help retirees and actually help the economy:

Let’s lift the restrictions on retirees so that, if they work, they don’t pay extra taxes on their Social Security.

According to Social Security, “You must pay taxes on up to 85% of your Social Security benefits if you file a: Federal tax return as an “individual” and your “combined income” exceeds $25,000. Joint return, and you and your spouse have “combined income” of more than $32,000.”

You know I stay out of politics, but I always support efforts to reward work.

Plato_Medicare insurance broker Karl Bruns-Kyler

Plato thinks that taxing Social Security is “snow way” to treat retirees. If you think this is a good idea, consider writing a letter to your elected officials. Thanks for the great idea Marilu.

Of course, not everyone wants to keep working. Let’s lift a glass to Joe, a happily retired client in Ohio.

Joe retired congrats

Joe just returned from an adventure in Italy with his wife and family, digging into their roots in Sicily, exploring, cooking, rekindling connections with distant relatives and staying connected. What an adventure, che bello!

Joe and Rhonda at dinner

Joe and Rhonda in Italy_The Big 65

Quantz finally returned from Europe spending time with our son Nicholas. I’m so happy to have her home and so is Plato.

Q in airport_Medicare insurance broker The Big 65

That’s it for this week. Let me know what’s going on in your world and how I can help.

Karl Bruns-Kyler
(877) 850-0211
Book a time on my calendar here.

We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options. This is a proprietary website and is not associated, endorsed or authorized by the Social Security Administration, the Department of Health and Human Services or the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. This site contains decision-support content and information about Medicare, services related to Medicare and services for people with Medicare. If you would like to find more information about the Medicare program please visit the Official U.S. Government Site for People with Medicare located at http://www.medicare.gov


Karl Bruns-Kyler is a Medicare insurance broker (independent agent) licensed in twenty-two states around the country to help with Medicare insurance. Those states include: Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, FloridaGeorgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, New YorkNorth CarolinaOhio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, TennesseeTexasVirginia, Wisconsin.

South Carolina Medicare insurance agent Karl Bruns-Kyler The Big 65