In 2026, RMDs Are Still Costing Retirees Six Figures, And the New One Big Beautiful Bill Did Nothing About It
Quick Read The One Big Beautiful Bill left RMD rules untouched, meaning retirees with $1.5M traditional accounts still…
The $43,000-a-Year 401(k) Withdrawal That Keeps a $1.4 Million Retiree in the 12% Bracket for Life
Quick Read Withdrawing $43,000 from a 401(k) while pulling remaining spending from a brokerage account produces an effective…
The QCD Move That Turns a $60,000 RMD From a $1.6 Million 401(k) Into Zero Taxable Income at 73
Quick Read A QCD routes IRA funds directly to charity, excluding the full $60,377 RMD from taxable income…
The 8-Year Window That Turns a $1.6 Million 401(k) Into a $310,000 Roth and a Bigger Social Security Check at 70
Quick Read Converting $105,700 annually into a Roth IRA over 8 years costs roughly $115,000 in federal taxes…
Social Security Gets Taxed When Dividends Cross This Threshold. Most Retirees Miss It
When a Comfortable Dividend Stream Turns Into a Tax Surprise Picture a single retiree drawing $30,000 a year…
What $10K a Month Really Looks Like in Retirement at Age 67 With a $2.4M Portfolio
Quick Read A 67-year-old couple with $2.4 million in savings and $48,000 in annual Social Security cannot sustain…
Early Retirees Face a Dangerous Choice, Says Wes Moss: Bonds in IRAs or Access to Cash
On the May 19 episode of The Clark Howard Podcast, financial planner Wes Moss answered a question from…
The $120,000 Roth Strategy That Cuts Retirement Taxes to $20,000 Instead of $35,000
Quick Read Self-employed architects can open a Solo 401(k) and direct employee deferrals to the Roth side, then…
The New Senior Tax Deduction Is Pushing Social Security Closer to the Brink of Insolvency
Many seniors 65 and older found the 2025 tax season to be less painful than in years past,…
The 401(k) to Roth Bracket Filling Strategy That Saves a $300,000 Earner Couple $145,000 in Taxes Over 8 Years
Quick Read $400,000 Roth conversion over 8 years at 12% saves $145,000 vs. forced 24% RMDs plus IRMAA…
What Happens to a $900,000 401(k) When the Owner Dies and the Beneficiary Falls Under the New 10 Year Rule
Quick Read Inherited $900,000 401(k) generates $1.6M taxable income over 10 years; 41% combined marginal rate yields $375K-$450K…
Retirees With Over $1.5 Million in a Traditional 401(k) Are Being Warned About This $43,000 Annual RMD at 73
Quick Read $1.5M traditional 401(k) at 73 produces $56,604 first-year RMD taxable at 22% plus 40% combined IRMAA…