Spousal IRA Rules 2026: Contribution Limits, Income Rules & Eligibility
A spousal IRA is not a special retirement account and it is not a joint IRA. It is the IRS rule that can let a married couple filing…
Retirement Planning Archive
Previous retirement articles across income, withdrawals, Social Security, Medicare, IRAs, 401(k)s, annuities and retirement tax planning.
Is an RMD Earned Income? Tax Rules for 2026
No. A required minimum distribution (RMD) is not earned income. You do not create wages, self-employment income, or IRA-contribution compensation by taking money out of a retirement account.…
Can You Combine RMDs? IRA & 403(b) Aggregation Rules
Yes, you can combine some RMDs, but not all of them. For your own traditional, SEP, and SIMPLE IRAs, you calculate the required minimum distribution for each IRA…
SECURE Act 2.0: What Changes for Retirement Savers in 2027
SECURE 2.0 did not arrive all at once. Here are the rules that actually matter into 2027. And the one catch-up rule that can quietly change how your…
Best Retirement Planning Books: What I’d Actually Recommend
If you only want one retirement planning book, start with How to Retire by Christine Benz. It is the best all-around choice I found for combining the money…
How to Plan for Retirement: 5 Decisions That Build a Real Plan
If you are trying to figure out how to plan for retirement, start with the decisions your money has to support—not with a magic savings number. A useful…
Retirement Plan Distributions: RMD & IRA Withdrawal Guide
A retirement plan distribution is simply money coming out of a retirement account. But the tax result depends on why the money is coming out, which account it…
Why Did I Get Extra Money From Social Security This Month?
October 2026 payment alert Got an unexpected $90 from Social Security? If the extra deposit was exactly $90, it is most likely the new one-time Medicare Improvement Fund…
Can You Live on $4,000 a Month in Retirement? Exploring Financial Feasibility
Have you ever wondered if $4,000 a month is the magic number for a worry-free retirement? Do you think think that you can live on $4,00 a month…
Immediate Annuity: Payouts, Risks & How Much to Annuitize
An immediate annuity, often called a single premium immediate annuity (SPIA), is an insurance contract that turns one lump sum into scheduled income that typically begins within a…