RETIREMENT GUIDES
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Straightforward guides to help you understand retirement income, spending, taxes, and the decisions ahead.
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12 guides
Inherited IRA Rules in 2026: The 10-Year Rule Explained
If you inherited an IRA after 2019, you likely must empty the entire account within 10 years — and depending on when the original owner died, you may also owe annual required minimum distributions along the way. The rules changed dramatically under the SECURE Act, and the IRS didn't finalize the details until July 2024. This guide explains exactly what's required, who's exempt, and how to minimize the tax hit.
16 min readHow to Avoid the Social Security Tax Torpedo (2026)
The Social Security tax torpedo is a hidden spike in your effective tax rate that can turn a 22% bracket into a 40.7% rate — without you ever crossing into a higher bracket. It happens when each dollar of retirement income forces up to 85 cents of previously untaxed Social Security benefits into your taxable income. This guide explains how the torpedo works, who it hits, and exactly how to avoid it.
15 min readHow Are 401(k) Withdrawals Taxed in Retirement? (2026 Guide)
Traditional 401(k) withdrawals are taxed as ordinary income — the same way wages are taxed — at your federal marginal rate in the year you withdraw. There is no special "retirement" tax rate. If you withdraw $50,000 from a traditional 401(k) in a year when your total taxable income is $70,000, that $50,000 is subject to your regular income tax brackets. Roth 401(k) withdrawals, by contrast, are completely tax-free in retirement. State taxes, Social Security taxation interactions, and mandatory Required Minimum Distributions add further complexity — all covered here.
18 min readHow to Calculate Your RMD: $500,000 ÷ 26.5 = $18,868 (2026)
Divide your December 31 account balance by the IRS life expectancy factor for your age — a 73-year-old with $500,000 divides by 26.5 from the Uniform Lifetime Table and owes $18,868. Plug in your own balance with the RMD calculator.
18 min readHow to Reduce Taxes on Required Minimum Distributions (2026 Guide)
The most powerful strategies to reduce taxes on Required Minimum Distributions are: Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) for up to $105,000/year tax-free to charity, Roth conversions before age 73 to reduce future RMD amounts, and careful timing of withdrawals to stay within lower tax brackets. RMDs are mandatory — but how much tax you pay on them is not. With the right plan, most retirees can reduce their effective RMD tax rate significantly, and some can eliminate it entirely on a portion of their distributions.
17 min readHow to Withdraw from Retirement Accounts Tax-Efficiently (2026 Guide)
The order in which you withdraw from retirement accounts can save you tens of thousands of dollars in taxes over a 20–30 year retirement. The general rule is: spend taxable accounts first, tax-deferred accounts (traditional 401k and IRA) second, and Roth accounts last. But the real opportunity is in the gap between retirement and age 73 — a window to strategically convert traditional IRA money to Roth at low tax rates before Required Minimum Distributions force larger taxable withdrawals.
17 min readRequired Minimum Distributions Explained: $500,000 ÷ 26.5 = $18,868 (2026)
At age 73 the IRS requires you to withdraw at least $18,868 from a $500,000 traditional IRA — that is $500,000 divided by the Uniform Lifetime factor of 26.5. Every dollar is taxed as ordinary income, and missing the deadline costs you 25% of the shortfall. Run your own number with the RMD calculator.
18 min readRMD Strategies: Cut the Tax on Your $18,868 Withdrawal (2026)
A 73-year-old with $500,000 in a traditional IRA owes at least $18,868 — that is $500,000 ÷ 26.5 — and every dollar is taxed as ordinary income. Roth conversions before 73, Qualified Charitable Distributions, and bracket-aware timing can cut that tax bill by thousands. Run your own number with the RMD calculator, then use the strategies below.
19 min readRoth Conversion Ladder: A Strategy to Access Retirement Funds Early (2026)
The Roth conversion ladder is a strategy that lets early retirees access traditional IRA or 401k money before age 59½ — without paying the 10% early withdrawal penalty. It works by converting money from a traditional account to a Roth IRA each year, then waiting five years before withdrawing those converted funds penalty-free. Done correctly, it provides a pipeline of tax-advantaged income that can bridge the gap between early retirement and traditional retirement age.
16 min readReady to put the ideas to work?
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