Retirement Planning

Having enough money to retire and having enough money you can actually spend are two different problems. You can build a seven-figure retirement portfolio, run the numbers, decide work is optional, and then discover that most of your money sits inside accounts with withdrawal rules you have never needed to...

Roth IRA withdrawals follow an order. Regular contributions first, conversions and rollovers next, and earnings last. That's why being under age 59½ doesn't automatically mean your Roth IRA withdrawal will be taxed or penalized. If you're thinking about taking money from a Roth IRA before 59½, your age is probably...

You turn 55 in January. You’re laid off in December, a few weeks too early. That calendar year difference can eliminate the Rule of 55 for that separation. There’s another trap. You separated in the right year, then rolled the 401(k) into an IRA before checking the rule. Those IRA...

The reg 72(t) rule can let you take taxable retirement money before age 59½ without the usual 10% additional tax. You do it by establishing a series of substantially equal periodic payments, usually called a SEPP. The tradeoff is control. Once the series starts, the account has to follow a...

The Rule of 55 for a 401(k) may let you take distributions before age 59½ without paying the additional 10% federal tax on early withdrawals. To qualify, you generally must separate from the employer sponsoring the plan during or after the calendar year in which you turn 55. But age...

A Roth conversion can create two bills. The first arrives at tax time. The second may not show up until two years later, when Medicare recalculates what you owe for Part B and Part D. This guide owns one practical job: estimating how much Roth conversion room you have this...

Most IRMAA Income calculators start by asking for your MAGI. Right? Okay... but what if that is the number you are trying to figure out? Welcome to my IRMAA Income Checker tool - find out which of your income counts towards MAGI and IRMAA Does an IRA withdrawal count? What...

If you find yourself asking, “How much do I need to retire at 65?” the real question is not whether you have $500,000, $1 million, or $2 million saved. It is whether your savings can create enough reliable income after Social Security, Medicare costs, taxes, inflation, and market risk...

What if your life savings could never shrink, even if the stock market plunged tomorrow. Would you sleep better at night? For many people nearing retirement in 2026, with inflation still hovering around 3% and market uncertainty, that promise of absolute safety is the most powerful draw of a...

As a financial planner with almost 3 decades of experience, I’ve seen few things cause more anxiety than the dense jargon of Social Security. The "Social Security 5-Year Rule" is a perfect example. Clients come to me confused, worried, and unsure if they qualify for the benefits they’ve paid...