Retirement Planning
401(k), IRA, Roth accounts, pension plans, withdrawal strategies, required minimum distributions, and how much you need to retire.
Latest in Retirement Planning
The typical worker’s 401(k) holds just $44,115, far below the $351,242 average that headlines tout
Millions of American workers saving for retirement through employer-sponsored 401(k) plans hold a median balance of just $44,115, a figure that sits far below the...
A Roth IRA never forces withdrawals in the owner’s lifetime, unlike a traditional IRA
Retirees with traditional IRAs face a mandatory withdrawal schedule starting at age 73, a rule that chips away at tax-deferred growth whether the account holder...
Skipping your employer’s 401(k) match leaves free money on the table every paycheck
Workers who contribute less than the amount needed to capture their employer’s full 401(k) match are giving up employer contributions that average 1.3% of annual...
A nonworking spouse can still fund a full IRA on the working partner’s earned income
Married couples where one partner stays home or earns no income can still double their household retirement savings, thanks to a federal tax provision that...
Setting up a qualified charitable distribution lets retirees give from an IRA and skip the tax
Retirees who are at least 70 and a half years old can transfer up to $105,000 a year directly from an IRA to a qualifying...
$2.1 trillion sits in 32 million forgotten 401(k)s, and a free federal database can reunite you with yours
Roughly one in four dollars held in 401(k) plans across the United States belongs to someone who may not know it is there. An estimated...
Low- and middle-income savers can claim a tax credit worth up to $1,000 for retirement contributions
Workers earning low or moderate incomes can cut their federal tax bill by up to $1,000 simply by contributing to a retirement account, yet many...
Waiting until April for your first required withdrawal can force two taxable RMDs in one year
Retirees who turn 73 and skip their first required minimum distribution before year-end face a tax trap: two full RMDs stacked into a single calendar...
Converting a traditional IRA to a Roth in a low-income year locks in today’s tax rate
Taxpayers who experience a sharp drop in earnings this year face a time-sensitive decision: whether to move pretax retirement savings into a Roth IRA while...
Up to $35,000 in leftover 529 college savings can roll into the beneficiary’s Roth IRA instead of being taxed
Families who saved for college through a 529 plan but ended up with leftover funds now have a tax-free exit that did not exist before...
A revocable living trust passes your home and accounts to heirs without the delay and cost of probate
Families who lose a loved one and then discover the home or bank accounts must pass through probate court face months of delays and mandatory...
$11,250 is the 401(k) catch-up limit for workers 60 to 63 in 2026, above the standard $8,000
Workers turning 60 to 63 in 2026 can defer up to $11,250 in catch-up contributions to their 401(k) plans, per the IRS. That figure sits...
Required withdrawals from retirement accounts now start at 73, giving savers an extra year of tax-deferred growth
Retirement savers born in 1951 or later gained an extra year before the IRS requires them to start pulling money out of tax-deferred accounts. Under...
Lower-income workers can claim up to $1,000 back, $2,000 for couples, just for funding a retirement account
Millions of lower-income workers across the United States are leaving money on the table by not claiming a tax credit designed specifically to reward them...
$24,500 is the 401(k) contribution limit in 2026, with an extra $8,000 for workers 50 and older
Workers saving for retirement through a 401(k) or similar employer plan can set aside up to $24,500 in 2026, a $1,000 increase over the prior...
Roth 401(k) accounts no longer force withdrawals during your lifetime
Retirees and workers with designated Roth accounts inside 401(k) and 403(b) plans no longer face mandatory annual withdrawals during their lifetimes. The change, rooted in...
A shared nursing-home room now averages $119,340 a year, and Medicaid only helps after your savings run down
A year in a shared nursing-home room now costs an average of $119,340, a price tag that has climbed well past what most retirement savings...
A free federal database holds unclaimed pensions for about 80,000 workers, some worth up to $7,789.77 a month
A federal agency is sitting on retirement money that roughly 80,000 people have never picked up, and there is no cost to check whether any...
The average 401(k) balance fell 4% to $141,000 as more workers raided their accounts, Fidelity says
Retirement savers saw their account balances shrink at the start of 2026, and a growing number of workers pulled money out early to cover financial...
An outdated beneficiary form on your 401(k) can send your savings to an ex instead of your family
Many people spend real money on a will, confident that it settles who will inherit their assets. What they often miss is that one of...