You've Earned Your Retirement. Now Make It Last.

The Challenge

George and Helen had $1.6M in traditional IRAs and were taking their RMDs — but their financial advisor had never discussed the tax impact. Their combined RMDs were pushing them into the 24% bracket and triggering IRMAA surcharges of $4,200/year. Their trust was from 1998 and hadn't been updated since their children were minors. One of their IRAs still listed a deceased parent as beneficiary.

What They Learned

The couple attended MSFE's 'RMD Strategies: Minimizing the Tax Impact' webinar and enrolled in the Tax Management in Retirement course. They learned about Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs), which allow IRA owners over 70½ to donate up to $105,000/year directly from their IRA to charity — satisfying the RMD without the income hitting their tax return.

The Outcome

George and Helen began using QCDs to satisfy $42,000 of their annual RMD, reducing their MAGI and eliminating the IRMAA surcharge entirely — saving $4,200/year. Their trust was updated to reflect current law and their adult children's circumstances. The incorrect beneficiary designation was corrected. Their estate plan is now fully coordinated with their investment accounts.

The Challenge

Dorothy had recently lost her husband and inherited his IRA — but was unaware of the 10-year rule for inherited IRAs and the tax implications of taking distributions. Her home was titled in both names and needed to be retitled. She had no long-term care plan, and her children were concerned about Medicaid planning if she needed nursing home care. Her estate was approximately $1.2M.

What They Learned

Dorothy attended MSFE's 'Protecting Your Estate: Trusts, Titling & Beneficiaries' workshop with her daughter and enrolled in the Medicaid Planning & Long-Term Care course. She learned about the 5-year Medicaid look-back period, how to properly title assets after the death of a spouse, and how a Medicaid Asset Protection Trust (MAPT) could protect her home from estate recovery.

The Outcome

Dorothy's home was properly retitled and placed in a Medicaid Asset Protection Trust, protecting its $380,000 value from potential estate recovery. Her inherited IRA distribution strategy was optimized to spread withdrawals over 10 years in the most tax-efficient manner. Her estate plan was updated to reflect her new status as a surviving spouse. Her daughter was named as successor trustee.

The Challenge

Frank had sold his business 4 years prior and had $2.8M in a mix of taxable brokerage accounts, traditional IRAs, and a Roth IRA. He was drawing Social Security but hadn't optimized Barbara's spousal benefit. Their estate plan had never included a trust — all assets were in their individual names, meaning the entire estate would go through probate. They had no long-term care plan.

What They Learned

Frank and Barbara attended MSFE's 'Estate Plan Review Workshop for Retirees' and enrolled in the Retirement Financial Mastery Program. They learned how a revocable living trust could avoid probate on their $2.8M estate, how Barbara's spousal Social Security benefit could be optimized, and how a hybrid long-term care policy could protect their portfolio without the 'use it or lose it' risk of traditional LTC insurance.

The Outcome

A revocable living trust was established, avoiding an estimated $28,000–$42,000 in probate costs and attorney fees. Barbara's Social Security benefit was restructured to maximize her survivor benefit. A hybrid long-term care policy was purchased, providing $400,000 in LTC benefits while preserving the death benefit for heirs. Their withdrawal strategy was restructured to draw from taxable accounts first, preserving tax-deferred growth.