Where Should You Pull Funds from First in Retirement? The Answer Will Surprise You.

📌 Get "The Exit Code" Report : https://lazy.better-investor.co/hello... Two retirees, same money, same first day without a paycheck. One taps the brokerage first and owes $0. The other taps the 401(k) first and pays $271 a month. Run both orders for 30 years and the year-one winner ends up paying about $31,000 more in federal tax. In this video I follow an illustrative married couple retiring at 65 in 2026 ($700,000 in a 401(k)/IRA, $250,000 in a brokerage account, $50,000 in a Roth, $3,000 a month of Social Security, a $7,000 monthly target) and translate every withdrawal order into the monthly number that actually lands in checking. What we cover: Why the first account you drain sets your MAGI, and why MAGI decides the tax on your Social Security, your capital gains, your Medicare premiums and the new senior deduction The $47,500 of tax-free room a couple 65+ gets in 2026, and why leaving it empty costs you later Brokerage first vs 401(k) first, decade by decade, from 65 to 95 The clever blend that wins every early year and still loses When the order barely matters (smaller pre-tax balances) The Two-Filer Window, and what happens to the bill when one spouse is left filing single A 3-number test you can run on your own accounts tonight The Exit Code, my research-based guide to the traps that delay or damage a retirement plan, built from decades of US retirement data: [link] All figures are an illustrative example based on 2026 federal tax law, 6% returns and 2.5% inflation, in today's dollars. State taxes are not included. This is education, not personalized tax or investment advice. Lazy investing built more fortune than crypto memes. 📌 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.