Craig Wear, CFP®Craig Wear, CFP® | Expert in Roth Conversions & Tax-Efficient Retirement Strategies for IRA Millionaires

This Will SAVE You MILLIONS in Retirement

13 Feb 2026 · 1 min

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In this segment, Craig Wear, CFP®, explains that retirees have limited control over their taxable income because required minimum distributions (RMDs) can push them into higher tax brackets. He argues that it can be advantageous to intentionally realize income now—accepting a higher tax bracket today—while tax rates are historically low, thereby avoiding substantially larger tax liabilities later. He highlights several macro factors that make early planning especially important: current low tax rates, growing federal deficits, tightening RMD regulations, and a new rule that forces heirs to withdraw inherited retirement assets within ten years. The overall message is to act now to control taxes rather than be forced into higher taxes in the future.

Chapters

In retirement, you have far less control over your income. If RMDs push you into a higher tax bracket, there's often nothing you can do. So sometimes the smartest move is stepping into higher tax bracket now to avoid being forced into a much higher one later. This matters even more. Today, tax rates are at historically low rates, deficits are growing, RMD rules are tightening, and your heirs now face a 10 year forced distribution window. Right now you still have room to plan, but that room shrinks every year. This isn't about making each year look perfect, it's about controlling taxes now instead of being controlled by them later.