# Retirement Planning Blog **Deep dives into the complex questions that actually matter.** No stock photos of beaches. No "10 tips for a happy retirement" listicles. Just rigorous financial planning analysis for professionals planning multi-decade futures. Topics we cover: tax optimization, withdrawal sequencing, sequence-of-returns risk, Roth conversions, IRMAA management, Monte Carlo simulations, OBBBA planning, and the entire set of retirement questions generic calculators dodge.

Latest Posts

OBBBA Changes Everything: The One Big Beautiful Bill Act and What It Means for Your Retirement Plan

January 19, 2025  |  OBBBA tax-planning-2026 Roth-conversions

Remember panicking about TCJA expiration? That's over. OBBBA made the tax rates permanent, added a new senior deduction, and created a critical 2025-2028 window for Roth conversions. Your retirement plan just changed - here's how.

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Social Security Optimization: Why 'Wait Until 70' Isn't Always the Right Answer

January 18, 2025  |  social-security claiming-strategy retirement-income

Delay Social Security until 70 and get 24% more per month! Sounds great - until you realize you gave up $156,000 in early benefits to get that raise. Will you live long enough to break even?

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IRMAA Planning: The Medicare Surcharge That Can Cost You $150,000+ in Retirement

January 17, 2025  |  IRMAA Medicare MAGI

You're 65. Your income hits $103,001. Congratulations - you just triggered an extra $1,678/year in Medicare premiums. And because it's based on 2-year-old income, you might not even realize it until you get the bill.

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The 4% Rule Is Broken: Why Dynamic Withdrawal Strategies Beat Fixed Percentages

January 16, 2025  |  4-percent-rule safe-withdrawal-rate dynamic-spending

You retire with $1M. Withdraw 4% ($40k) per year, adjusted for inflation. You'll never run out of money. Except when you do - which is about 25-30% of the time in modern simulations.

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Roth Conversion Ladder Strategy: Pay Less Tax Over Your Lifetime

January 15, 2025  |  Roth-conversions Roth-IRA tax-optimization

You spent 30 years deferring taxes into traditional IRAs. At 73, the IRS forces you to withdraw money you don't need, pushing you into higher brackets and triggering Medicare surcharges. There's a better way.

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TCJA Expiration 2026: The Tax Bomb Nobody's Modeling (And How to Defuse It)

January 14, 2025  |  TCJA-expiration tax-planning-2026 Roth-conversions

Your retirement plan assumes 2024 tax rates forever. TCJA expires in 659 days. Your actual tax bill could be 20-30% higher than you're modeling. Are you planning for fantasy tax rates or reality?

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The Retirement Red Zone: Why the 5 Years Before and After Retirement Are Make or Break

January 13, 2025  |  retirement-red-zone retirement-timing portfolio-protection

You've spent 30 years building your nest egg. A market crash in the wrong 24-month window can destroy decades of careful saving. Welcome to the retirement red zone.

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Sequence of Returns Risk: Why Your Retirement Date Matters More Than Average Returns

January 12, 2025  |  sequence-of-returns market-volatility retirement-timing

Your portfolio averages 7% returns. You retire. The market drops 30% in year one. Are you still okay? Probably not - and here's why sequence matters more than averages.

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## Why This Blog Exists Most retirement planning content lands in one of two buckets: **Oversimplified advice.** "Save 15% of your income!" "Rule of thumb: 4% withdrawal rate!" - advice that assumes everyone has the same situation. **Needlessly academic research.** PhD-level math with Greek letters, but no practical takeaway. This blog lives between those extremes: technical depth without jargon, real scenarios with clear takeaways, and the math behind every recommendation.

## What We Cover ### Tax Optimization Roth conversions, OBBBA senior deduction planning (2026-2028), withdrawal sequencing, IRMAA mitigation, bracket optimization, and state tax nuance. ### Risk Management Sequence-of-returns risk, the retirement red zone (ages 60-70), Monte Carlo stress testing, scenario breakdowns, and contingency planning for bear markets. ### Advanced Planning RMD management, estate/legacy planning inputs, early retirement modeling, and healthcare/income planning across decades. ### Tools & Software How to model the right questions, what features best-in-class planners need, and why most calculators miss the boat on complex tax situations.

## Subscribe for Updates New posts are published when there's something truly meaningful to share: a new law change, a modeling insight, or an advanced retirement experiment worth documenting. **RSS Feed:** [Subscribe via RSS](/feed.xml) - instant updates for every new article. Email updates coming soon.

## Contact Questions about retirement planning topics we've covered? Want to suggest a future article? Email us at [fbfinancialplanner@gmail.com](mailto:fbfinancialplanner@gmail.com) and we’ll follow up directly.

## Get the Software These posts reference modeling that requires proper retirement planning software. Most calculators can't handle the scenarios we explore. **Fatboy Financial Planner** is built for this level of depth: - Model Roth conversions year-by-year with full tax impact. - Account for OBBBA senior deductions (2026-2028) and optimize every timing decision. - Stress test against sequence-of-returns risk with Monte Carlo simulations. - Compare scenarios side-by-side with editable tax parameters. Start free. Upgrade for Pro if you need advanced analysis. No subscriptions. Your data stays local.