Episodes
If you have a specific subject on your mind, you can use our complete episode index, organized by topic, to find the conversation you're looking for.
Tax Planning When You Don't Drop Tax Brackets in Retirement
Episode 46 of Retirement Tax Matters addresses the common assumption that retirees always drop into lower tax brackets once they stop working. For savers in the $2M to $8M range, pension income, Social Security, taxable yield, and future required distributions often keep taxable income in the 24% or 32% brackets throughout retirement.
How To Move Appreciated Brokerage Accounts Without Huge Taxes
Episode 43 of Retirement Tax Matters addresses the technical and psychological hurdles that high-net-worth retirees between $2M-$8M face when managing highly appreciated, taxable brokerage accounts. Learn how to think through a systematic, multi-year transition strategy to diversify away from concentrated stock risk without triggering a tax surprise the following April.
Why Your 30-Year Retirement Plan Report Feels Underwhelming
Long-term retirement planning is a necessity, but it must be balanced with yearly execution. Episode 42 explores why a static 30-year trajectory feels underwhelming without proactive tax planning, and how tactical adjustments to your tax return provide real-world confidence as the future unfolds.
Roth Conversions for Single Retirees: Feeling the Painful 32% Bracket Jump
Episode 34 addresses the high-net-worth Single Filer Retiree navigating the 32% tax bracket Roth Conversion decision. Learn why the $201,776 threshold in 2026 is an interesting crosshair for advanced tax planning, where the 32% bracket, NIIT surcharges, and IRMAA cliffs create a unexpected collision of taxes for successful Single Filers.
The 3.8% Net Investment Income Tax: The Inflation Trap for Retirees
Episode 15 of Retirement Tax Matters demystifies the 3.8% Net Investment Income Tax (NIIT), a surtax that is increasingly trapping high-net-worth retirees due to income thresholds ($200,000 for singles, $250,000 for married couples) that have not been adjusted for inflation since 2013. We explain the specific “Lesser of" calculation used by the IRS, illustrating how this tax applies to your dividends, interest, and capital gains once your Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) exceeds those fixed limits.