The IRMAA Income Trap Quiz: What Really Counts?
From municipal bonds to Roth conversions — take our quiz to find out if you know which income streams push you into higher Medicare brackets.
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more. Delivered daily. Enter your email in the box and click Sign Me Up.
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Want to add more newsletters?
For many retirees, the realization that "tax-free" doesn't always mean "cost-free" comes as a shock when their Medicare premiums arrive. The Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount (IRMAA) is a surcharge that can significantly increase your health care costs based on how you manage your wealth.
Because Medicare uses a specific calculation — Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) — certain common financial moves, like selling a home or collecting municipal bond interest, can unexpectedly push you into a higher bracket. This 10-question quiz is designed to help you navigate these nuances, ensuring your legacy and lifestyle aren't sidelined by avoidable surcharges.
And don't worry if you miss an answer; you can use the links below the quiz to brush up on the IRMAA rules.
From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance
Become a smarter, better informed investor. Subscribe from just $107.88 $24.99, plus get up to 4 Special Issues
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Subscribe to the Retirement Tips newsletter, your guide to planning and enjoying a financially secure and richly rewarding retirement.
More from the Kip
- 7 Ways to Plan Now to Save on Medicare IRMAA Surcharges Later
- Want to Avoid the IRMAA? Consider a Roth Conversion
- What You Will Pay for Medicare in 2026
- Medicare Premiums 2026: IRMAA Brackets and Surcharges for Parts B and D
- 9 Things You Must Know About Medicare's Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount (IRMAA) Surcharges
- How to Appeal the IRMAA for Medicare Parts B and D
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more. Delivered daily. Enter your email in the box and click Sign Me Up.

Donna joined Kiplinger as a personal finance writer in 2023. She spent more than a decade as the contributing editor of J.K.Lasser's Your Income Tax Guide and edited state specific legal treatises at ALM Media. She has shared her expertise as a guest on Bloomberg, CNN, Fox, NPR, CNBC and many other media outlets around the nation. She is a graduate of Brooklyn Law School and the University at Buffalo.