Blog
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How to Calculate RMD: Simple Steps for Retirees
- October 9, 2025
- Category: Uncategorized
Executive summary: Your required minimum distribution (RMD) equals last year’s December 31 account balance divided by an IRS life-expectancy factor. The real skill is picking the correct factor, applying the rules for each account type, and timing withdrawals to limit taxes and Medicare surcharges. This guide shows you how to calculate RMD accurately, avoid common
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When Do RMDs Start for IRAs and 401(k)s?
- October 8, 2025
- Category: Personal Finance, Retirement Planning, Tax Strategies
Executive summary: If you’re wondering, “when do RMDs start,” the short answer is age 73 for most savers born 1951–1959. Your first IRA RMD is due by April 1 of the year after you turn 73, though you can also take it by December 31 of the year you turn 73. For many employer plans,
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Contribute to IRA After Retirement: The Complete Guide
- October 7, 2025
- Category: Personal Finance Strategies, Retirement Planning
Executive summary: You can contribute to IRA after retirement if you have earned income from wages or self-employment. For 2025, the IRA limit is $7,000 ($8,000 if you’re 50+). Roth IRA eligibility depends on your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI). Traditional IRA deductibility depends on workplace plan coverage and income. With smart timing, the right
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401k Rollover to IRA: A Complete, Practical Guide
- October 6, 2025
- Category: Investment Accounts & IRAs, Retirement Planning, Tax & Withdrawal Strategies
Executive summary: A 401k rollover to IRA can cut costs, expand investment choices, and simplify future withdrawals when you do it right. However, timing, tax treatment, access rules, ERISA protections, and employer stock can tilt the decision the other way. This guide shows when a rollover helps, when it hurts, and the steps to complete
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The Safest Way to Use Retirement Savings: A Practical Guide
- October 5, 2025
- Category: Income Strategies, Retirement Planning, Tax Planning
Executive Summary: The safest way to use retirement savings is simple and sturdy: secure an income floor for essentials, hold a cash buffer for shocks, and invest the rest for long-term growth while following clear, rules-based withdrawal guardrails. Blend Social Security, pensions or annuities, a bond/TIPS ladder, diversified portfolios, and a tax-aware withdrawal order so
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Do I Have Enough to Retire? 7 Signs You’re Ready
- October 4, 2025
- Category: Income Strategies, Retirement Planning, Tax & Withdrawal Strategies
Executive summary: If you keep asking, “Do I have enough to retire?”, you’re really checking whether savings, income, and risks match the life you want. This guide turns that into a practical checklist. Use the seven signs, the quick scorecard, and the case studies to spot gaps, fix them, and move from doubt to a
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Should You Use Separate IRAs for Beneficiaries?
- October 3, 2025
- Category: Estate Planning, Retirement Planning, Tax Planning
Executive Summary: For many families, separate IRAs for beneficiaries make taxes, withdrawals, and investments easier to manage. You gain independent control but accept extra paperwork, strict titling, and hard deadlines. This guide explains what separate accounts are, when they help, when a pooled approach is fine, and how to split the account correctly. What “Separate
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Too Much Cash in Retirement? The Real Risks Explained
- October 2, 2025
- Category: Investment Strategies, Personal Finance, Retirement Planning
Executive summary: Holding a large cash cushion feels safe, yet too much cash in retirement can quietly erode purchasing power, reduce long-term income, and raise the chance of falling behind inflation. A right-sized reserve for near-term spending (paired with bonds and diversified equities for later years) protects today’s bills and tomorrow’s lifestyle. What “too much
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Budgeting in Retirement: 7 Rules That Actually Work
- October 1, 2025
- Category: Budgeting & Cash Flow, Retirement Planning, Tax & Income Strategies
Executive Summary Budgeting in retirement isn’t about penny-pinching. It’s about building a steady, flexible paycheck you control. The seven rules below turn savings into income, coordinate taxes and healthcare, and add guardrails so you can adjust with confidence as life changes. In practice, you’ll separate essentials from lifestyle wants, automate a monthly “paycheck,” and keep
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7 Proven Ways to Handle the SECURE Act 10-Year Rule
- September 30, 2025
- Category: Estate Planning, Retirement Planning, Tax Strategies
Executive Summary: For deaths in 2020 or later, most non-spouse heirs who aren’t eligible designated beneficiaries must withdraw the entire inherited IRA by December 31 of the 10th year after the original owner’s death. With a clear plan, the SECURE Act 10-year rule can still help you reduce lifetime taxes, preserve investment growth, and support