Episode 48 of Retirement Tax Matters evaluates the financial trade-offs of inheriting a Roth IRA versus a Traditional pre-tax IRA for high-net-worth families in the $2M to $8M range. Garrett and Adam break down why adult children in their peak earning years face compressed 10-year distribution windows under the SECURE Act, which often makes proactive parent-level Roth conversions at lower rates the superior decision for the family balance sheet.

Gifting money to your adult children is sometimes simpler than many high-net-worth retirees realize. In 2026, the federal lifetime gift and estate tax exemption sits at 15 million dollars per individual, meaning the annual 19,000 dollar exclusion threshold usually just involves whether you need to file Form 709 with your tax return using up some of your $15M limit.

In Episode 7 of Retirement Tax Matters we tackle a critical, yet often emotionally challenging, aspect of HNW retirement planning: the significant tax bracket shock a surviving spouse can face. We reveal how a married couple's ~$250,000 taxable income, typically in the 24% bracket, can jump to a 35% bracket for a surviving spouse due to the shift from married filing jointly to individual rates, compounded by growing RMDs and even higher Medicare premiums.