Listener Questions: Which Account Should I Withdraw from to Fill Up My Tax Bracket?

Ever since listeners enjoyed our Retirement Tax Management series with Andy Panko we have received an influx of questions surrounding taxes. I’ll answer several questions today about filling up your tax buckets. I’ll also respond to queries about planning when to take Social Security when you will have excess RMDs and how to incorporate balanced funds into your asset allocation. Don’t miss this episode if you still have burning tax questions left over from last month’s series on retirement tax management. The Rock Retirement Club has so much to offer The Rock Retirement Club recently hosted the Retirement Rodeo Round-Up in Fort Worth, Texas. I was so impressed by the levels of motivation and excitement that I saw from the participants. Everyone who attended was excited to share their knowledge and learn from each others’ journeys so that they could make the most out of their retirement. Have you considered joining the Rock Retirement Club? If so, or even if you just want to learn more about it, check out the virtual open house that we’re having on November 16. At the open house, you’ll get a sneak peek of the Club’s Retirement Master Class and preview member tools like Everplans and the New Retirement Planner Plus calculator. The open house will be a great way to decide whether the RRC is right for you. Register for this event at LiveWithRoger.com . Are you having trouble overcoming frugality? One common concern from the participants at the Retirement Rodeo Round-Up conference was the challenge of overcoming frugality. Like many Retirement Answer Man listeners, RRC members are amazing savers, but after saving and delaying gratification for so many years it is hard to break the habit. There is a mental shift that must take place to switch from saving to spending and shifting your mindset can be difficult. Instead of watching your accounts grow, you now see them stay stagnant or decrease over time and this can set off alarm bells in your mind. Have you experienced difficulty navigating this change? What did you do to shift your mindset from saving to spending? When should Jenny claim Social Security? Jenny has been a diligent saver and will end up having excess RMDs. This issue has caused her to think about the most beneficial time to claim Social Security. She is considering taking Social Security at age 62 to lower her income, but I have another strategy for her to consider. Listen in to hear my thoughts on what you should do if you have substantial projected RMDs. How to fill up your tax bracket bucket in retirement One of the strategies that Andy Panko and I talked about last month in the Retirement Tax Management series was filling up your tax bracket. When filling up your tax bracket you'll want to take funds from your IRAs or other tax-deferred accounts and either spend that money, invest it in after-tax assets, or convert it to a Roth IRA. Work out the best situation for you by creating a retirement plan of record and then test different outcomes. Have you created a retirement plan of record yet? OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE RETIREMENT ANSWER MAN LISTENER QUESTIONS [2:40] It takes a big mental shift to stop saving and start spending [4:01] How much to allocate to asset allocation if you have balanced funds in your portfolio? [7:05] How Social Security works with RMDs [13:10] How to fill up the tax bracket bucket [15:15] What to do with the money that you fill up your tax bracket with [16:26] Scott really enjoyed the episodes with Tanya Nichols TODAY’S SMART SPRINT SEGMENT [17:10] Calculate your projected income for 2021 Resources Mentioned In This Episode Register for the Rock Retirement Club’s virtual open house at LiveWithRoger.com Tanya Nichols with Align Financial Check out Tanya Nichols in the Women in Retirement series - Start Here Rock Retirement Club Roger’s YouTube Channel - Roger That BOOK - Rock Retirement by Roger Whitney Work with Roger Roger’s Retirement Learning Center