Retirement Withdrawal Strategies to Think About

This article is for informational purposes only and is not financial advice.

Entering retirement brings unique financial concerns, primarily ensuring that income lasts a lifetime. To address the risk of outliving savings, you may consider reducing your needs through downsizing or debt payoff before retiring.

It could also help to start planning for withdrawal strategies in retirement. It’s a nuanced process, demanding careful consideration of various factors. Making informed decisions at this stage safeguards against premature savings depletion, ensuring a comfortable retirement.

Thoughtful planning today lays the groundwork for a comfortable and fulfilling retirement tomorrow. You can establish a plan that aligns with your financial objectives by exploring effective retirement withdrawal strategies to maximize income, minimize taxes and create a sustainable retirement.

Retirement Withdrawal Strategies

Understand Your Retirement Portfolio and Prioritize Tax-Efficiency

Understanding your retirement portfolio should be the first step before diving into tax-efficient retirement withdrawal strategies.

Assess your mix of accounts – 401(k)s, IRAs, Roth IRAs, etc. – and consider their distinct tax implications. Taxable accounts, like brokerage, involve paying taxes on realized gains. Tax-deferred accounts, such as 401(k)s, grow tax-free until withdrawal in retirement, with required minimum distributions (RMDs) starting at 73. Like Roth IRAs, tax-free accounts offer tax-free growth, and you’re not obligated to withdraw.

The conventional advice from tax professionals involves initiating withdrawals from taxable accounts, progressing to tax-deferred accounts, and ultimately tapping into Roth accounts, where withdrawals remain tax-free.

Calculate Your RMDs

“You cannot keep retirement funds in your account indefinitely,” according to the IRS website. RMDs are the minimum amounts you must withdraw annually from tax-deferred retirement accounts once you hit the starting age of 72 or 73, depending on your birth year. This rule applies to these types of plans:

• Traditional IRAs
• SEP IRAs
• SIMPLE IRAs
• 401(k) plans
• 403(b) plans
• 457(b) plans
• Profit sharing plans
• Other defined contribution plans
• Roth IRA beneficiaries

Calculating RMDs involves dividing your account balance by the IRS estimate of your life expectancy. You can take multiple withdrawals throughout the year as long as the minimum is met annually. Still, excess withdrawals don’t count toward future RMDs.

Failure to withdraw incurs a hefty 50% penalty on the amount due. Your first RMD is generally required by April 1, the year after you reach the starting age, with subsequent RMDs due by Dec. 31 each year.

Implement a Retirement Withdrawal Plan

Establishing a withdrawal plan can be instrumental in efficiently managing your retirement income. Creating one in an organized manner involves setting a fixed percentage or dollar amount to withdraw regularly, considering factors like:

• Life expectancy
• Amount saved
• RMDs
• Expected market returns
• Inflation

Deciding on the initial withdrawal and the rate over time is crucial to avoid outliving savings. There are several different strategies to consider, including the following:

• The 4% rule involves withdrawing a percentage of your account balance and adjusting for inflation annually.
• Fixed-dollar withdrawals maintain a consistent annual amount.
• Fixed-percentage withdrawals fluctuate with the account balance.
• Systematic withdrawals leave the principal invested throughout retirement.

Whatever you choose, the goal should be to provide predictability and ensure your funds last throughout retirement.

Consider Charitable Contributions

Consider leveraging your retirement funds for charitable contributions if you don’t need all the income your RMDs produce. It can be a powerful way to give back while reducing taxable income.

The law allows tax-free qualified charitable distributions of up to $100,000 ($200,000 for couples) annually, directly from IRAs for individuals in this age bracket, fulfilling their required minimum distribution. This charitable contribution doesn’t count as income, reducing the donor’s tax liability. However, these charitable distributions won’t be itemized as deductions.

By making qualified charitable distributions, individuals can support causes they believe in and strategically manage their taxable income in retirement. Whether saving, reinvesting or contributing to a charitable cause, this approach offers financial flexibility for those fortunate enough not to need immediate funds.

AAA offers a variety of financial services that can help with retirement, including loans, reverse mortgages, deposit programs and more.

This article is for informational purposes only and is not financial advice.