How to Make Retirement Withdrawals and Not Miss Market Gains

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WSJ Your Money Briefing 7 min 3 speakers 8 chapters transcribed 2 months ago
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?

ReliaQuest Advertiser 0:00
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J.R. Whalen 0:30
Here's your Money Briefing for Thursday, October 13th.

How did the RMD waiver in 2020 affect retirees and what's changed now?

J.R. Whalen 0:38
I'm J.R. Whalen for The Wall Street Journal. Seniors with 401ks and other types of retirement savings accounts haven't had to take out Required Minimum Distributions, or RMDs, over the last two years. But banks and brokerages are sending out notices now that RMD rules are back on, and those withdrawals could be especially painful this year.
Ashlea Ebeling 0:59
The required withdrawals and down markets are frustrating because retirement account owners don't want to reduce their balances further and lose out on growth.

What are Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) and who must take them?

J.R. Whalen 1:08
On today's show, we'll talk with our personal finance reporter, Ashley Ebling, about how retirees can cushion the financial impact of withdrawing retirement savings and why it might make sense for some seniors to withdraw more than the minimum. That's after the break.
ReliaQuest Advertiser 1:22
This podcast is brought to you by ReliaQuest. Cyber criminals are constantly attacking. They want your data.

How is the 2022 bear market making RMDs more painful for retirees?

ReliaQuest Advertiser 1:28
They want your identity. They want your innovation. ReliaQuest fortifies your business with agentic defense, AI that detects, contains, and eliminates cyber threats in minutes. It helps your security team move faster at the work that matters most to protect the business now and delivers insights to help them predict what's next.

What is a volatility buffer and how can retirees use it to protect RMDs?

ReliaQuest Advertiser 1:44
ReliaQuest, agentic defense for the enterprise. Learn more at ReliaQuest.com. That's R-E-L-I-A-Q-U-E-S-T.com.
J.R. Whalen 1:59
Congress waived required withdrawals from retirement savings accounts during 2020 stock market instability.

How can distributions-in-kind and transferring bonds reduce market-timing risk?

J.R. Whalen 2:05
But seniors will have to make those withdrawals before the end of this calendar year. And breaking up investments in a bear market might make some retirees uneasy. Wall Street Journal personal finance reporter Ashleya Ebling has been talking with financial professionals about this and joins us to talk about some ways to make withdrawals but not miss out on potential market gains. Hey, Ashleya, thank you very much for being with us.

What is a Qualified Charitable Distribution and how can it lower the tax hit?

J.R. Whalen 2:25
Nice to be here. So Ashley, remind us again of what required minimum distributions are and why are people required to take them?
Ashlea Ebeling 2:33
The RMDs apply to traditional pre-tax individual retirement accounts, SEP IRAs, simple IRAs, 401ks, basically any retirement account where you've put pre-tax money in and then it's tax deferred. Once you reach 72, you're required to take the money out a minimum amount on an annual basis. So the government requires this because they've given you the advantage of the tax deferral over the years.

When might it make sense to withdraw more than the RMD given current tax rates?

Ashlea Ebeling 2:56
And the government basically needs the money. So when you pull it out, they require you to pull it out on an annual basis. And when you pull it out, it's taxable income.
J.R. Whalen 3:04
So how do these work? How much money are people required to take out?
Ashlea Ebeling 3:07
So retirees have to withdraw and pay taxes on a certain percentage of their savings. The formula is based on the accounts balance at the end of the previous year. That means for 2022 RMDs, you're basing it on the balance as of December 31st, 2021. We have an 80-year-old man, for example, who has a million-dollar IRA. He would have to take out $50,000 this year.
J.R. Whalen 3:33
Now, you mentioned the formulas based on the accounts balance at the end of the previous year. The stock markets are significantly lower than they were at the end of 2021. They've steadily declined into bear market territory since the end of last year. How does that affect the math here for seniors?
Ashlea Ebeling 3:47
So that's what's really frustrating. The required withdrawals and down markets are frustrating because retirement account owners don't want to reduce their balances further and lose out on growth.

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