The $1.5 Million 401(k) Tax Trap: How Bracket Smoothing Saves Retirees From 40% Effective Rates
Quick Read Retirees with large traditional 401(k)s can face effective marginal rates near 40% when RMDs, Social Security…
Retirees With $1.2 Million in a 401(k) Face a Hidden Tax Bomb at 73: Here’s How to Avoid It
Quick Read A $1.2 million 401(k) forces a first RMD near $45,000 at 73, potentially pushing 85% of…
A $2.5 Million 401(k) at 73 Can Still Cost You Six Figures Without These 3 Moves
Quick Read A $2.5 million traditional 401(k) forces $94,340 in annual RMDs at age 73, pushing married couples…
A $2.1 Million 401(k) at 75 Produces an $85,400 RMD That Pushes a Retiree Into the 24 Percent Bracket
Quick Read A $2.1 million traditional 401(k) forces an $85,400 RMD at 75 that, stacked with Social Security,…
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 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…
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…
Why a 65-Year-Old With $1.8 Million Is Spending Her 401(k) Before Claiming Social Security at 70
Quick Read Delaying Social Security to 70 grows the annual benefit from $36,000 to $44,640, adding $172,800 in…
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…
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…