The IRA Balance Where RMDs Turn Into a Tax Bomb

📌 Get "The Exit Code" Report : https://lazy.better-investor.co/hello... For a married couple, required minimum distributions stay inside the 12% bracket until your IRAs reach about $2.25 million at 75. For whoever is left alone, that line drops to about $825,000. Same account, same rules, one fewer person on the tax return. In this video we run the numbers with 2026 figures: how the RMD divisor works, where the couple's line and the survivor's line come from, why the widow's tax return is the one most plans never look at, and how to use the cheap years between your last paycheck and your first RMD without prepaying tax for a problem you were never going to have. Then: how much to move each year, QCDs, claiming Social Security with the survivor in mind, what your children inherit under the 10-year rule, and the traps that undo a good plan in a single year. The Exit Code, the research-based book I put together on the traps that delay retirement (including the Social Security Bridge): link below. Chapters 0:00 Two lines: $2.25M for a couple, $825K for a survivor 5:04 The couple's line, and why most couples are far from it 9:52 The survivor's line and the widow's penalty 14:43 The cheap window between the last paycheck and the first RMD 19:25 How much to move each year 23:52 Three more exits: QCDs, Social Security at 70, your heirs 28:33 The traps, and the plan that actually works Figures used (2026): IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32 brackets and standard deduction, IRS Uniform Lifetime Table, SECURE 2.0 RMD ages (73 / 75), CMS 2026 Part B premium and IRMAA thresholds, QCD limit $111,000, Social Security taxation thresholds, Vanguard retiree survey (Dec. 2025), Fidelity Q2 2026, Morningstar 2026. Examples assume 5% a year after inflation and are shown in today's dollars. This video is for education, not personalized tax or investment advice. Your state, your Social Security amounts and future tax law will change the numbers. 📌 Please note: I'm NOT a financial advisor. These videos represent my personal point of view. It's for entertainment purposes only and do not constitute financial advice. This content is for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing presented here constitutes investment, legal, or tax advice. Always do your own research or consult a licensed professional before making financial decisions.