Your Retirement Accounts Are Not Worth What You Think — RMDs, Taxes & Medicare

Understand your tax liability on retirement funds

The number on your IRA statement is not what you get to spend. Federal income taxes reduce every traditional 401(k) and IRA withdrawal. Required Minimum Distributions — which begin at 73 whether you need the money or not — can push your income high enough to trigger Medicare surcharges that cost a couple thousands of dollars a year on top of taxes. Here’s how it all works, in plain language.