Retirement Planning
401(k)s, IRAs, withdrawal strategy, and the math of retiring on your terms, for every stage of the journey.
64 guides in Retirement Planning, page 2 of 3
Average IRA Balance by Age: Traditional and Roth, From IRS Data
The average IRA holds $205,238 per owner, per IRS tax data, rising to $392,867 at ages 70-74. Average Roth IRA: $57,450. Medians, Roth vs traditional, by age.
Average Retirement Age: When Americans Actually Retire, and What Each Age Costs
Retirees report a median retirement age of 62; workers expect 65 (EBRI 2026). Social Security claiming ages, full retirement age, and the cost of each age.
Backdoor Roth IRA: How It Works in 2026, Step by Step
Earn $168,000+ single or $252,000+ joint in 2026? A backdoor Roth still gets $7,500 into a Roth IRA. Steps, pro-rata math, Form 8606, mega backdoor.
Coast FIRE: The Number That Lets You Stop Saving for Retirement
Coast FIRE means you have invested enough that growth alone reaches your retirement number. The formula, a calculator, and what it takes at ages 25 to 50.
Federal Pay Raise 2027: A Proposed Freeze for Civilians, and What Could Still Change
The 2027 federal pay raise is 0% for civilians under the President's plan, vs 3.1% plus locality by formula. Military: 5-7% proposed. Not final yet.
IRMAA Brackets 2026: Medicare Part B and Part D Surcharge Tables
IRMAA starts above $109,000 MAGI ($218,000 joint) in 2026, raising Part B from $202.90 to as much as $689.90 a month. Full tables, 2024 lookback, appeals.
Medicare Part B Premium 2026: $202.90 a Month, Plus What 2027 May Bring
The 2026 Medicare Part B premium is $202.90 a month, up $17.90, with a $283 deductible. Part A costs, hold-harmless, IRMAA, and the 2027 projection.
Required Minimum Distribution Table (IRS Uniform Lifetime)
At 75 the IRS divisor is 24.6, so a $500,000 IRA needs a $20,325 RMD. The full Uniform Lifetime Table (ages 72-120+), start ages, deadlines and penalties.
Social Security COLA 2027: The Official 3.6% Raise, New Limits and What You'll Get
The 2027 Social Security COLA is 3.6%, announced October 14, 2026. The average retirement check rises about $75 to $2,170 in January 2027. New wage base, earnings limits and SSI rates.
Spousal Social Security Benefits: How Much You Get, When to Claim, and the Rules That Trip People Up
Spousal Social Security benefits pay up to 50% of the worker's full-retirement-age benefit, or as little as 32.5% if claimed at 62. Rules, divorce, GPO repeal and examples.
TSP Funds Explained: G, F, C, S, I and the L Funds, With Returns and Costs
The C Fund returned 15.30% a year over 10 years to Sept 30, 2026, the G Fund 2.97%. What each of the 16 TSP funds holds and what it costs.
TSP Loan Rules: How Much You Can Borrow, What It Costs, and What Happens If You Leave
A TSP loan lets you borrow $1,000 to $50,000 of your own money at the G Fund rate for a $50 or $100 fee. Limits, terms, and the tax trap if you leave.
401(k) Rollover: How to Move Your Money Without Tax or Penalties
How to roll over a 401(k) after leaving a job: direct rollover vs the 60-day rule, the 20% withholding trap, what can go into a Roth IRA, and the age-55 exception you lose by moving to an IRA. From IRS rules.
Average Retirement Savings by Age: The Honest Numbers
Among US families that own a retirement account the median is $106,000 and the average is $451,100, per the Federal Reserve's 2025 Survey of Consumer Finances. Count every family and the median falls to about $5,200. Both numbers, by age band.
How Much Do I Need to Retire? A Method, Not a Magic Number
Households aged 65 to 74 spend $65,354 a year, about 77% of what households aged 55 to 64 spend (BLS, 2024). How to turn your own spending into a savings target: subtract Social Security, then multiply the gap. With the 2026 Social Security figures and what the trust fund projection means.
Types of Retirement Plans: Every Account Compared, With 2026 Limits
Every common US retirement account in one place: 401(k), 403(b), 457(b), TSP, traditional and Roth IRA, SEP, SIMPLE, solo 401(k) and pensions, with 2026 IRS limits from Notice 2025-67, how they stack, and the order most people should fill them.
Traditional IRA: 2026 Limits, Deduction Rules and Withdrawals
The 2026 traditional IRA limit is $7,500, or $8,600 at 50 and over, per IRS Notice 2025-67. Who can deduct contributions, the 2026 income phase-outs, the 10% early-withdrawal rule and its exceptions, and required distributions from age 73.
Inherited IRA Rules: RMDs, the 10-Year Rule and the Tax Bill
Most non-spouse beneficiaries must empty an inherited IRA within 10 years. When annual RMDs are also required, how to calculate one from the IRS Single Life Table, and what you owe.
Estate Planning Basics: The Documents Everyone Needs
Estate planning basics: the will, powers of attorney, advance directives, living trusts and beneficiary designations most people need, plus the 2026 federal estate tax exemption ($15 million) and gift exclusion ($19,000).
Average Social Security Check in 2026: By Benefit Type and Claiming Age
The average Social Security retirement check is $2,088 a month (SSA, August 2026). See averages for spouses, widows, disability and SSI, the maximum by claiming age, and how much claiming at 62 vs 70 changes your check.
Bank IRA vs Brokerage IRA: Key Differences
A bank IRA and a brokerage IRA get the same tax break but hold very different things. How they compare on growth, insurance, and risk, and which one fits your timeline.
Social Security 2026 COLA: 2.8% and What Changes
The 2026 Social Security COLA is 2.8%. See what your new benefit will be, the new $184,500 wage base, 2026 earnings-test limits, and the max and average benefits, all from official SSA figures. Includes a free COLA calculator.
Is a Roth IRA Worth It? (2026)
Is a Roth IRA worth it? A clear 2026 guide, tax-free growth, the new $7,500 contribution limit, income phase-outs, who benefits most, and when a traditional IRA wins instead. With a free calculator.
Pros and Cons of a Reverse Mortgage (2026)
A clear, honest look at the pros and cons of a reverse mortgage in 2026, how a HECM works, what it costs, who it suits, and the traps that can cost you your home or your heirs' inheritance.