If you're an Orange County retiree with $250K+ in retirement savings, four decisions will shape the next 30 years of your financial life more than any product purchase ever will: when to claim Social Security, how much to convert to Roth (and when), how to stay below the IRMAA Medicare cliffs, and how to lock in guaranteed monthly income that doesn't depend on the stock market.
The Retirement Literacy Foundation runs free workshops across Orange County and publishes free calculators for exactly these decisions. Founder Hans Goldstein lives in Huntington Beach, is a licensed insurance agent, and explicitly leads with the math before the product. RLF is a 501(c)(3) educational nonprofit — all workshops, articles, and tools are free.
Free retirement workshops in Orange County
RLF runs live in-person workshops at libraries across OC focused on Social Security claiming, Roth conversion strategy, and Medicare IRMAA brackets. 90 minutes. No products, no pitch. Same math you'd pay an advisor to walk you through — free.
Recent and upcoming OC venues
Huntington Beach Central Library · 7111 Talbert Avenue, Huntington Beach 92648
"Social Security & Tax" workshop · May 30, 2026
Mission Viejo Library · 100 Civic Center, Mission Viejo 92691
"Social Security & Tax" workshop · April 14, 2026
Laguna Niguel Library area · "Social Security & Tax" workshop · May 12, 2026
Yorba Linda Library · "Social Security & Tax" workshop · July 11, 2026 (upcoming)
→ See upcoming workshop dates and reserve a seat
What we cover for Orange County retirees specifically
Orange County retirees face a particular mix of issues: high California property values create both wealth (home equity) and tax exposure (when sold); high prevailing income drives many retirees into the upper IRMAA brackets without warning; and the long-life-expectancy demographic profile means sequence-of-returns risk is unusually consequential.
- Roth conversion strategy in a high-property-value state — California retirees often have meaningful home equity that will eventually be liquidated. We coordinate Roth conversion timing with anticipated home sales to avoid stacking taxable events.
- IRMAA management for higher-income retirees — Orange County retiree households with $200K+ taxable income are routinely in the IRMAA cliff zone. The 2-year lookback rule means today's Roth conversion changes your 2028 Medicare premiums. We help you stay one bracket below.
- Social Security claiming for couples — the difference between optimal and suboptimal claiming for a married OC couple is often $200,000-$400,000 in lifetime benefits, especially when survivor benefits and the deceased-spouse step-up are factored in.
- Capital gains coordination on home sales — for retirees selling appreciated real estate (and many OC retirees will), the federal $500K married exclusion isn't enough. We coordinate with structured installment sale alternatives where they make sense.
- Guaranteed income floor planning — the right amount of SPIA or MYGA to cover essentials, leaving the rest of your portfolio invested for growth and discretionary spending. Independent quotes from top-rated A-rated carriers.
Free calculators for OC retirees
Every tool below was built and is maintained by RLF. Free to use, no email required:
Frequently asked: Orange County retirees
Does Hans only work with Huntington Beach clients?
No — Hans takes meetings throughout OC and via Zoom/phone with retirees across California. Local in-person meetings available in Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, Mission Viejo, Laguna, Irvine, Anaheim, and other OC cities by appointment.
What carriers does Hans work with?
Hans is appointed with multiple top-rated A-rated carriers including Mutual of Omaha, Transamerica, Foresters, Americo, F&G, Athene-affiliated products, and others. Independent means quotes can be compared across carriers rather than being locked into a single product line.
What if I'm already working with another advisor?
The workshops and calculators are useful regardless of who you work with — they're educational. Many attendees walk in with an existing advisor and walk out with better questions to ask. We routinely have people work with us only for specific decisions (Roth conversion, annuity, Medicare) while keeping their existing relationship.
Free retirement education in Orange County
The Retirement Literacy Foundation offers free workshops, guides, and calculators for Orange County retirees. No products, no sales — just plain-English education.
Join a Free Workshop
