9151 / How can a client use a qualified longevity annuity contract in conjunction with his or her Social Security planning?

As most clients know, waiting past the normal retirement age to begin collecting Social Security allows the client to earn delayed retirement credits, which increase the eventual benefit by 8 percent for each year in which benefits are delayed. Because of this special treatment, most advisors counsel clients to delay claiming benefits for as long as possible in order to ensure the maximum monthly benefit level. Clients who do not wish to follow this advice, and who choose to instead claim Social Security early, can potentially benefit from using a qualified longevity annuity contract (QLAC) in their Social Security planning.

A QLAC is an annuity contract that is purchased within a traditional retirement plan, under which the annuity payments are deferred until the client reaches old age (they must begin by the month following the month in which the client reaches age 85) in order to provide retirement income security late in life. The value of the QLAC is excluded from the retirement account value when calculating the client’s required minimum distributions (RMDs) once the client reaches age 73 (72 in 2020-2022 and 70½ prior to 2020). Prior to 2023, the client was limited to purchasing a QLAC with an annuity premium value equal to the lesser of 25 percent of the account value or $145,000 (in 2022, as adjusted for inflation). The SECURE Act 2.0 removed the rule that previously limited the value of a QLAC to 25 percent of the account’s value. Further, the law modified the previous rule that limited the value of the QLAC to $125,000 by raising the cap to $200,000 (in 2023-2024, the amount will be indexed for inflation).

QLACs allow clients who have saved for retirement to avoid delaying Social Security benefits entirely-and, because of volatility in the Social Security system and the uncertainty of a client’s lifespan generally, many clients are receptive to this idea because they are reluctant to defer in the first place. For most clients, delaying Social Security benefits past retirement age means that withdrawals from tax-preferred accounts must increase during the deferral period in order to ensure sufficient income while maximizing the benefit level for a later time. However, this means that tax-preferred accounts are depleted at a much more rapid rate early in the client’s retirement-leaving a lower account value to grow over subsequent years.