Sean Mullaney

So that's after we put in the senior deduction, if we're 65 or older, we're married, that's $12,000.

If we're both 65 or older this year, that's fantastic, plus the high standard deduction.

So that goes back to my point that retirement is a time that if we structure our drawdown and our Roth conversion strategy, in the first part of our retirement, we might be paying very low taxes.

And then, yes, maybe later on in retirement, as we spend down those brokerage accounts, we then get into our traditional IRA.

We eventually get to RMDs.

Although, by the way, if you're born in 1960 or later, that RMD doesn't start till 875 later in life anyway.

So yeah, Robert, there are so many good little planning opportunities out there.

And I think we have to step back and say, fear of taxation and retirement is not justified in today's environment based on the rules, based on the incentives of the politicians, based on what the recent history.

In the book, we have a little table.

And it goes through a decade's worth of tax cut after tax cut after tax cut for retirees, even though many commentators are saying, you know, they're going to be increasing taxes on retirees.

The problem with those predictions is the future keeps happening and those tax increases don't materialize.

And what has materialized are tax cuts after tax cuts for retirees.

Now, I'm not here to say that that's going to continue, meaning

I do think there's some risk that may to be small, incremental, minor tax increases.

And I'm certainly not going to bet on continued tax cuts on retirees.

But I think the history, the politicians motivations, today's rates sort of come out with this message of taxation in the future for retirees is likely to be relatively modest.

That's certainly not guaranteed.

And look, I'm not here to say you shouldn't think about some tactics like some smaller Roth conversions.

maybe doing the backdoor Roth while you're working.

There are different things you can do to help mitigate that risk.