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Can Ted and Georgette convert $1.6M in an inherited trust to Roth without distributing it? Should the trust own their home so they can use the home equity? Melissa was added as joint owner on her parents’ bank accounts after a medical event, but what have they done? Should Ralph and Alice use the required minimum distribution from their inherited IRA to pay Roth conversion taxes? Plus, can Theodore contribute to his wife Louise’s Roth IRA? Can Marc make Roth contributions for his grandkids? Joe and Al also come up with a unique way for John to potentially pay the tax on his Roth conversion using his home equity.
When should Jack and Swan in Florida pay off their home, retire, and convert their savings to Roth for lifetime tax-free investment growth? Jennifer in Colorado wonders whether she should consider taxes when calculating her expenses and whether she should pay off her home to be debt-free in retirement? That’s today on Your Money, Your Wealth® podcast 503 with Joe Anderson, CFP® and Big Al Clopine, CPA. Plus, should Kevin in Scottsdale collect Social Security in 2025, or postpone and do Roth conversions over the next two years? Should Skipper in Texas do Roth conversions to the top of the 24% tax bracket instead of the 22? And just how closely will Big Brother watch his state of residency if Skipper buys homes in Florida and another location for his retirement? Harry Tasker in Minnesota’s wife Helen says he needs to continue working. Is that a “True Lie”? Harry asks Joe and Big Al to spitball on whether he and Helen can stay home during their go-go years. And can the Tomb Raiders afford to spend $120,000 a year in retirement?
Can Bauer in Illinois retire at age 57, and when should he collect Social Security? More importantly, can he afford a $300,000 motor home? Can Brad in Michigan coast for the next 10 years and still reach the promised land of retirement somewhere around age 53? Plus, it seems weird to Elizabeth in Connecticut that nearly all of her $5M is in taxable accounts. Is that good or bad? N&N in the San Francisco Bay Area have $10M liquid. Should they make Roth contributions and Roth conversions now, or wait until they retire?
Should Suzanne in Michigan do Roth conversions in 2025 and 2026 since she’s widowed and won’t be married filing jointly? How should she pay the tax on her conversions? Jennifer in Washington state is 55 and her husband is 70. Should she retire now and do aggressive Roth conversions before her husband passes? We’re talking about the widow’s tax, today on Your Money, Your Wealth® podcast number 501. Plus, answers to questions from our YouTube viewers: what’s a brokerage account? What’s a good way to pay RMD taxes? How does the 10 year rule work on inherited IRAs? What are extended market index funds? The fellas also spitball on the 4% rule for retirement withdrawals.
Are real estate investment trust (REIT) ETFs a good way for Leon to begin investing in real estate? Can AI Seth stay retired at age 52, and should he do Roth conversions? Jenn in Ohio wants the fellas to be brutally honest about whether she should move with work, take a break, or retire now. And “George and Weezy” are in their mid-50s – can they “move on up” to a deluxe retirement lifestyle in 2026, or even earlier?
Hawkeye and Elle are age 61 and in the 32% tax bracket. How should they get money into their Roth accounts for tax-free retirement income? Clark and Ellen are 69 and 68, expenses will pretty much be covered by their fixed income, but they’d like to leave Roth money to their kids. Should they keep converting to Roth, or use required minimum distributions for their living expenses? Tom and his wife are 73, and fixed income will cover their retirement spending too. Is it advantageous to them to make three huge Roth conversions beyond their marginal tax bracket to reduce future RMDs? Should they keep things simple by leaving their money in an S&P 500 Index Fund?
Should David in Ohio use 457 funds to do an in-plan Roth conversion in his 403(b) plan, and should he hire a financial advisor? Chris in DC needs a retirement and Roth conversion spitball analysis, and he needs help getting out of a variable annuity. Kim is anxious that she made a mess of her finances and she wonders how much she should convert to Roth. Plus, what’s the best way for Alissa in Cedar Rapids, Iowa to make tax-efficient retirement withdrawals from an inherited IRA?
How much should you save in pre-tax accounts vs. post-tax accounts? Joe Anderson, CFP® and Big Al Clopine, CPA spitball on the “age plus 20” rule for retirement savings, Roth 401(k) contributions and distributions, and a Social Security claiming strategy for Ralph and Marie in Wilmington, Delaware. Shawn wonders if YMYW listeners are ignoring the WEP and GPO when it comes to Social Security, that is, the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset. Plus, can Jake and Amy in Iowa retire in 5 years, or do they need to work beyond age 60? Should Edwin stop making Roth contributions and start doing Roth conversions instead? And finally, how can Jeff in North Dakota’s son qualify for the American Opportunity Tax Credit?
Joe and Big Al spitball on three different listeners’ strategies for paying the tax on a Roth conversion now, to have lifetime tax-free growth on that money in the future: should “Neo” convert to Roth at the beginning or end of the year in his plan to make quarterly estimated tax payments on his conversion? Is it a good strategy for Tim to use reimbursements from his health savings account to pay Roth conversion taxes? What do Joe and Big Al think of Samantha’s plan to convert to Roth and pay the tax with her IRA money? Plus, the fellas answer questions from our YouTube and Spotify followers on required minimum distributions from Roth accounts, reasons to put retirement withdrawals in a brokerage account instead of a Roth, choosing pension options, the difference between commercial annuities and pension annuities, and their thoughts on single premium immediate annuities (SPIA).
TJ in Louisiana has been sitting on the sidelines, but now it’s time to get into the market. Should he dollar cost average, or just go all in? Does Margaret in CA’s idea of selling a stock at a loss and buying a put option on that stock that expires after the 30-day waiting period work as a tax loss harvesting strategy? When is it worth it for Brian in Charlotte, NC to diversify beyond a basic three-fund portfolio? Should Christine in San Diego convert her variable annuity to a fixed indexed annuity? How should Dean in Columbus, GA invest inherited retirement money? Are Jen and John in CA on track for retirement, and how should they fund their home remodel? Are there any negative consequences for Steve in PA if he finds a new financial advisor just a few months after hiring his current advisor? The fellas also talk through how Chris can give money to charity from his required minimum distributions (RMDs), and finally, Terry calls in with a follow-up question about whether a solo 401(k) is an option to avoid unrelated business income tax (UBIT).
Can Alanis retire early at age 60? With Barney and Betty’s spending patterns, can they retire ASAP? Daisy and Donald need retirement income for 40 years. Can they retire now? Plus, we review the results of the 7th Annual YMYW Podcast Survey (congratulations to jemart for winning the Amazon e-gift card!) And Joe and Big Al take on some critical YouTube comments from Keith, following their interview with Ed Slott, CPA.
Can Claire and her husband retire early at age 60? Joe and Big Al spitball for them and explain how to calculate how much you’ll need in retirement. Plus, should Jeff invest his pension money more aggressively, and should he save to his thrift savings plan or his Roth? Should Paula save to her brokerage account or her 401(k)? When and how much should Ken and “Fume Guzzler” each convert to Roth? The IRS charged Lex late fees for not paying estimated taxes throughout the year on her Roth conversion – find out how to avoid that yourself. Finally, how can Ken get out of an annuity? And is it harmful for Sarah to advise co-workers with little financial experience?
Is timing the market when withdrawing money from retirement accounts or doing Roth conversions an effective strategy for YMYW listener Robert to minimize tax and maximize returns? Should Doug change his 60/40 asset allocation, and should he start a solo 401(k)? Jefe plans to withdraw from his retirement accounts beyond the top of the 24% tax bracket for the first few years of retirement. Is there any reason to put it in a brokerage account rather than converting it to Roth? The fellas also spitball on Roth conversion methods and strategies for Srinivas, Todd, Debbie, and JZ in California, and they spitball on JZ in New York’s “bucketing” strategy for early retirement withdrawals.
Should Terry and his siblings take out a whole life insurance policy on their parents before they inherit their folks’ $10 million worth of farmland? Is Terry on track for retirement? Plus, should Fred and Wilma use their 401(k) money for living expenses to bridge the gap until they collect Social Security benefits? Should Glen claim his Social Security at age 65 and use it to fully fund his wife’s Roth IRA? When should Bill take his Social Security and should he do Roth conversions? Finally, should Maya include home equity in her retirement savings? Should Jack pay off his mortgage or stash his cash in a brokerage account and refinance his house later?
How is Kimberly’s strategy for reducing her retirement taxes by doing Roth conversions and qualified charitable distributions? Is Patrick’s tax loss harvesting transaction a wash sale? At what marginal tax rate should Brian stop making Roth 401(k) contributions? Joe and Big Al are back this week to answer these questions. Plus, spitballing on the importance of international stock in John in Seattle’s diversified investment portfolio, David and Terri’s Roth conversion and I bond strategy, Blake’s severance package, and the impact of a new home purchase on John in DC’s retirement spending.
