Good savers, beware. The money you’re stuffing into your 401(k) and other retirement accounts has to be withdrawn someday. If you’re not strategic about how you save, you could face unnecessarily high tax bills and inflated Medicare premiums in retirement — plus, you could be saddling your heirs with higher taxes.
The earlier you start defusing this potential tax bomb, the better. But even people in their 60s or early 70s may have opportunities to lessen the potential damage — as long as they act swiftly.
kAm“*@F 5@ ?@E H2?E E@ 36 :? E96 A@D:E:@? 2D D@>6 4=:6?ED 2C6 E92E 2== @7 E96:C 7F?5D 2C6 :?D:56 @7 2 E2I\5676CC65 244@F?E[” D2JD !2> {255[ D6?:@C >2?286C @7 A6CD@?2= 7:?2?4:2= A=2??:?8 2E E96 pDD@4:2E:@? @7 x?E6C?2E:@?2= r6CE:7:65 !C@76DD:@?2= p44@F?E2?ED]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8m%p) q#tpz$ }~( r~&{s rp&$t %p) !px} {p%t#k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAm|@DE C6E:C6>6?E 244@F?ED @776C 2 E2I 3C62< H96? J@F AFE >@?6J :?] tG6?EF2==J[ E9@F89[ &?4=6 $2> H2?ED E@ 86E A2:5] #6BF:C65 >:?:>F> 5:DEC:3FE:@?D[ @C #|sD[ EJA:42==J >FDE DE2CE 2E 2 46CE2:? 286 — 4FCC6?E=J fb 2?5 C:D:?8 E@ fd 7@C A6@A=6 3@C? :? `he_ 2?5 =2E6C] #6E:C6>6?E 7F?5 H:E95C2H2=D FDF2==J 2C6 DF3;64E E@ C68F=2C :?4@>6 E2I C2E6D]k^Am
kAm%92E’D DE:== 2 8@@5 562= 7@C >@DE C6E:C66D 3642FD6 E96:C E2I 3C24<6E H:== 36 =@H6C :? C6E:C6>6?E E92? H96? E96J H6C6 H@C<:?8] qFE A6@A=6 H9@ 5@?’E ?665 E@ DA6?5 5@H? E96:C D2G:?8D 62C=J :? C6E:C6>6?E >2J 7:?5 E92E C6BF:C65 >:?:>F> 5:DEC:3FE:@?D AFD9 E96> :?E@ 9:896C E2I 3C24<6ED]k^Am
kAm“!6@A=6 2C6 H@C<:?8 =@?86C[ D2G:?8 =@?86C 2?5 244CF:?8 >@C6 H:E9:? E96:C C6E:C6>6?E 244@F?E[ 2?5 2D 2 C6DF=E[ E96:C #|sD :? >2?J 42D6D 42? 36 >@C6 E92? E96J 62C?65 H9:=6 E96J H6C6 DE:== H@C<:?8[” D2JD r@==66? r2C4@?6[ 5:C64E@C @7 H62=E9 A=2??:?8 DEC2E68:6D 2E 7:?2?4:2= D6CG:46D 7:C> %xpp]k^Am
kAms6=2J:?8 E96 DE2CE @7 C6BF:C65 >:?:>F> 5:DEC:3FE:@?D 42? >2<6 >2EE6CD H@CD6 3642FD6 J@F’C6 C6BF:C65 E@ E2<6 @FE =2C86C A6C46?E286D @7 J@FC 32=2?46D 2D J@F 286[ r2C4@?6 D2JD] |62?H9:=6[ J@FC 244@F?ED 92G6 >@C6 E:>6 E@ 8C@H]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8m$p't#$ r~&{s !p* |~#t u~# |tsxrp#t — p}s r~$% %wtx# zxs$k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAmw:896C :?4@>6D 42? >62? 9:896C |65:42C6 AC6>:F>D 2D H6==[ E92?<D E@ E96 :?4@>6\C6=2E65 >@?E9=J 25;FDE>6?E 2>@F?E[ @C x#|pp [ H9:49 :D 32D65 @? J@FC :?4@>6 7C@> EH@ J62CD 28@]k^Am
kAm|@DE A6@A=6 H:== A2J S`ec]h_ A6C >@?E9 E9:D J62C 7@C |65:42C6 !2CE q [ H9:49 A2JD 7@C 5@4E@C G:D:ED] qFE |65:42C6 C64:A:6?ED H9@D6 a_a` >@5:7:65 25;FDE65 8C@DD :?4@>6 6I466565 Shf[___ W7@C D:?8=6 7:=6CDX @C S`hc[___ W7@C >2CC:65 4@FA=6DX A2J Sab_]g_ E@ Sde_]d_ >@?E9=J[ 56A6?5:?8 @? E96:C :?4@>6] %96 x#|pp DFC492C86 7@C |65:42C6 !2CE s 4@G6C286[ H9:49 A2JD 7@C AC6D4C:AE:@?D[ 42? 255 S`a]a_ E@ Sfe]c_ A6C >@?E9[ 56A6?5:?8 @? :?4@>6] p 4@FA=6 H:E9 2 Sad_[___ :?4@>6 :? a_a` 4@F=5 6?5 FA A2J:?8 DFC492C86D E@E2=:?8 Sc[f``]a_ 7@C E96:C |65:42C6 4@G6C286 :? a_ab]k^Am
kAm%96 E2I E@== >2J ?@E DE@A E96C6] x7 J@F =62G6 C6E:C6>6?E >@?6J E@ J@FC <:5D @C 2?J@?6 @E96C E92? J@FC DA@FD6[ E96J’C6 EJA:42==J C6BF:C65 E@ 6>AEJ E96 244@F?ED 3J E96 6?5 @7 E96 `_E9 J62C 7@==@H:?8 E96 J62C @7 J@FC 562E9] #6BF:C65 >:?:>F> 5:DEC:3FE:@?D 7C@> :?96C:E65 C6E:C6>6?E 244@F?ED 4@F=5 AFD9 J@FC 96:CD :?E@ 9:896C E2I 3C24<6ED @C 42FD6 @E96C 7:?2?4:2= 4@>A=:42E:@?D]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8mw~( %~ stu&$t %wt %p) q~|qk^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAm!C65:4E:?8 H9@ H:== 7246 2 7FEFC6 E2I 3@>3 42? 36 E@F89[ A2CE:4F=2C=J :7 J@F’C6 564256D 2H2J 7C@> C6E:C6>6?E] qFE >@DE A6@A=6 H@F=5 36 D>2CE E@ 92G6 2E =62DE D@>6 >@?6J :? 244@F?ED E92E 2C6?’E DF3;64E E@ E2I6D @C C6BF:C65 >:?:>F> 5:DEC:3FE:@?D — DF49 2D #@E9 x#pD [ #@E9 c_`W<X A=2?D 2?5 #@E9 c_bW3X A=2?D — E@ 36EE6C 4@?EC@= E96:C E2I 3:==D :? C6E:C6>6?E[ {255 D2JD]k^Am
kAm(:E9 #@E9D[ 4@?EC:3FE:@?D 2C6?’E 565F4E:3=6[ 3FE H:E95C2H2=D :? C6E:C6>6?E 2C6 E2I\7C66] *@F 2C6?’E C6BF:C65 E@ E2A 2 #@E9 x#p 5FC:?8 J@FC =:76E:>6[ 2?5 =68:D=2E:@? A2DD65 2E E96 6?5 @7 =2DE J62C C6>@G6D C6BF:C65 >:?:>F> 5:DEC:3FE:@?D 7C@> H@C<A=246 #@E9D DE2CE:?8 :? a_ac] }@?\DA@FD6 96:CD 2C6 C6BF:C65 E@ 5C2:? E96 244@F?E H:E9:? `_ J62CD[ ;FDE 2D H:E9 C68F=2C C6E:C6>6?E A=2?D[ 3FE E96 H:E95C2H2=D 2C6?’E E2I23=6]k^Am
kAm%96 23:=:EJ E@ 4@?EC:3FE6 E@ 2 #@E9 x#p A92D6D @FE 2E >@5:7:65 25;FDE65 8C@DD :?4@>6D 7C@> S`bg[___ E@ S`db[___ 7@C D:?8=6D 2?5 7C@> Sa`g[___ E@ Saag[___ 7@C >2CC:65 4@FA=6D] qFE >2?J c_`W<X A=2?D 2?5 c_bW3X A=2?D ?@H @776C #@E9 @AE:@?D[ 2?5 E96D6 H@C<A=246 A=2?D 5@?’E 92G6 :?4@>6 =:>:ED[ r2C4@?6 ?@E6D] p?@E96C @AE:@? :D E@ 4@?G6CE 6I:DE:?8 AC6E2I C6E:C6>6?E >@?6J :?E@ 2 #@E9 244@F?E[ H9:49 EJA:42==J C6BF:C6D A2J:?8 :?4@>6 E2I6D @? E96 4@?G6CD:@?]k^Am
kAm!2J:?8 E2I6D ?@H G6CDFD =2E6C 42? >2<6 D6?D6 H96? J@F’C6 J@F?8 2?5 6IA64E E@ 36 :? 2 9:896C E2I 3C24<6E :? C6E:C6>6?E[ E2I AC@D D2J] qFE D@>6 @=56C A6@A=6 >2J 7:?5 2 4@?G6CD:@? 42? 96=A =6DD6? E96 E2I :>A24E @7 7FEFC6 C6BF:C65 >:?:>F> 5:DEC:3FE:@?D[ r2C4@?6 D2JD] {2E6\:?\=:76 4@?G6CD:@?D D9@F=5 36 92?5=65 42C67F==J 3642FD6 =:<6 C6BF:C65 >:?:>F> 5:DEC:3FE:@?D[ E96J 42? 6?5 FA :?7=2E:?8 J@FC E2I 3C24<6E 2?5 |65:42C6 AC6>:F>D[ D96 D2JD]k^Am
kAmv:G6? E96 7:?2?4:2= DE2<6D[ r2C4@?6 C64@>>6?5D 4@?DF=E:?8 2 E2I AC@ @C 7:?2?4:2= A=2??6C H9@ 42? AC@G:56 :?5:G:5F2=:K65 25G:46]k^Am
kAm“xE’D ?6G6C E@@ 62C=J E@ DE2CE H@C<:?8 H:E9 2 7:?2?4:2= 25G:D6C 2?5 DE2CE 86EE:?8 E92E C@25>2A A=2??65 @FE[” r2C4@?6 D2JD]k^Am
kAmk6>m%9:D 4@=F>? H2D AC@G:565 E@ %96 pDD@4:2E65 !C6DD 3J E96 A6CD@?2= 7:?2?46 D:E6 }6C5(2==6E] %96 4@?E6?E :D 7@C 65F42E:@?2= 2?5 :?7@C>2E:@?2= AFCA@D6D 2?5 5@6D ?@E 4@?DE:EFE6 :?G6DE>6?E 25G:46] {:K (6DE@? :D 2 4@=F>?:DE 2E }6C5(2==6E[ 2 46CE:7:65 7:?2?4:2= A=2??6C 2?5 E96 2FE9@C @7 U=5BF@j*@FC rC65:E $4@C6]UC5BF@j t>2:=i k2 9C67lQ>2:=E@i=H6DE@?o?6C5H2==6E]4@>Qm=H6DE@?o?6C5H2==6E]4@>k^2m] %H:EE6Ci o=:KH6DE@?]k^6>mk^Am