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
$8,000 in extra 401(k) catch-up contributions is allowed once you turn 50
Workers who turn 50 by the end of 2026 can stash an additional $8,000 in their 401(k) plans on top of the standard elective deferral...
$24,500 is the 401(k) contribution limit in 2026, and the IRA limit is $7,500
Workers saving for retirement through a 401(k) can set aside up to $24,500 starting January 1, 2026, a $1,000 increase over the $23,500 cap that...
1% in annual 401(k) fees can quietly cost you tens of thousands of dollars over a career
Workers saving for retirement through a 401(k) plan face a persistent, largely invisible drag on their wealth: annual fees that compound year after year. Federal...
Company stock inside a 401(k) can be rolled out so its gains are taxed at lower capital-gains rates
Retiring workers who hold large blocks of their employer’s stock inside a 401(k) face a choice that can shift thousands of dollars between the IRS...
A joint-and-survivor pension keeps paying your spouse after you die, while a single-life payout stops at your death
Retirees covered by a defined-benefit pension face a single decision at retirement that determines whether their spouse will receive any income from that pension after...
Substantially equal withdrawals let you tap an IRA before 59½ penalty-free
Workers who leave a job before age 59½ and need income from a traditional IRA face a steep 10% early-withdrawal penalty on top of ordinary...
Roth IRA earnings come out completely tax-free only after the account is five years old and you are 59½
Millions of Americans saving through Roth IRAs expect their investment gains to come out free of federal income tax. That expectation is correct, but only...
An old 401(k) can roll into an IRA penalty-free, often cutting fees and widening your investment choices
Workers who switch jobs and leave behind old 401(k) accounts face a quiet but measurable cost: fees that can eat into balances faster than investment...
Anyone can convert a traditional IRA to a Roth, because conversions carry no income limit even when contributions do
High-earning taxpayers who cannot contribute directly to a Roth IRA still have a clear path to get money into one. Federal law draws a sharp...
There is no longer an age limit on funding an IRA, so a retiree with any earned income can still contribute
Retirees who pick up part-time work, freelance gigs, or consulting contracts after age 70 can now put money into a traditional IRA, a right that...
Money moved into a qualified longevity annuity escapes required withdrawals until payments begin, as late as age 85
Retirees holding traditional IRAs or employer-sponsored plans can shield a portion of their savings from annual required minimum distributions by purchasing a qualified longevity annuity...
Money in a Roth IRA grows and comes out completely tax-free in retirement, and it never forces required withdrawals during your lifetime
Retirement savers who fund a Roth IRA gain two structural advantages that no traditional IRA can match: every dollar of qualified growth exits the account...
Low- and moderate-income workers can claim a tax credit worth up to $1,000 just for paying into a retirement account
Workers earning low or moderate wages can cut their federal tax bill by up to $1,000 simply for putting money into a retirement account, yet...
The federal pension agency is holding unclaimed benefits for tens of thousands of workers whose companies ended their plans
Tens of thousands of American workers are owed retirement money they may not know exists. The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, the federal agency that insures...
Lose your job at 55? You can tap that 401(k) early without the usual 10% penalty
Workers who lose a job at 55 or older face an urgent cash-flow question: how to cover expenses before standard retirement age without handing the...
$95,000 can front-load five years of gifts into a grandchild’s 529 plan at once
Grandparents looking to accelerate college savings for a grandchild can deposit up to $95,000 into a 529 plan in a single calendar year without triggering...
Converting a traditional IRA to a Roth in a low-income year can cut your lifetime tax bill
Retirees sitting on six-figure traditional IRA balances face a tax timing problem that grows more expensive every year they ignore it. The IRS allows taxpayers...
Married couples can pass unlimited assets to each other estate-tax-free, and portability saves the unused exemption
Surviving spouses stand to lose millions of dollars in tax protection if their families miss a single IRS filing deadline. Federal law allows married couples...
$2,500 can come out of a 401(k) for long-term-care premiums, penalty-free
Workers saving for retirement now have a narrow but real escape valve for one of the fastest-growing costs in American life: long-term care insurance. Under...
Delay your first required IRA withdrawal to April after turning 73 and you’ll owe two in the same year
Retirees who turned 73 in 2024 or 2025 face a tax trap if they chose to delay their first required minimum distribution from an IRA....