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[Should I Roll Over My Roth 401(k) to a Roth IRA When I’m About to Retire?] – Clear, tax-smart guidance for people close to retirement

About to retire – or recently retired – and wondering if you should move Roth 401(k) dollars into a Roth IRA? In this episode of The Perfect Retirement Plan?, Phillip Smith explains why a Roth 401(k) is great while you’re working, but why the rules at retirement can change taxes, timing, and flexibility.

We cover the different 5-year clocks, plan withdrawal limits, pro-rata taxation on non-qualified plan distributions, the 2024 RMD update for designated Roth accounts, and the Roth IRA ordering rules that can make a withdrawal fully tax-free.

What you’ll learn
00:00 Intro – 59½ milestone, plan “gotchas”
01:00 Today’s roadmap
01:27 Why Roth 401(k) shines during accumulation
02:17 The 5-year rule & non-qualified distributions
03:12 Plan constraints, menus, costs – plus the 2024 RMD change
05:06 When keeping money in-plan still makes sense (age-55 rule, low costs, creditor protection)
05:57 Why a Roth IRA often wins in retirement
06:29 One IRA 5-year clock and the contribution → conversion → earnings ordering rules
08:23 Coordinating MAGI for Medicare IRMAA; creditor-protection caveats
09:36 Case study – $50k withdrawal: plan vs IRA tax impact
12:46 Action steps
13:55 Closing

Action step
Verify your Roth IRA’s 5-year status, request your plan’s distribution rules, and choose a path that protects tax-free flexibility.

More resources: TidepoolWealth.com and our YouTube channel @TidepoolWealth.
#RetirementPlanning #Roth401k #RothIRA #FiveYearRule #AboutToRetire #RecentlyRetired #TaxPlanning #MedicareIRMAA

Thanks for tuning in to this episode of The Perfect Retirement Plan, and remember: it's not about having the smartest financial advisor, the most money saved, or the highest probability of retirement success. The perfect retirement plan, for you – is the one you act on.

Phillip Smith, CRPC AIF | Financial Planner
Tidepool Wealth Strategies
450 Country Club Road, Suite 350 | Eugene, OR | 97401

____________________________________________________________________________________________
Additional Disclosures:
The opinions contained in this material are those of the author, and not a recommendation or solicitation to buy or sell investment products. This information is from sources believed to be reliable, but Cetera Wealth Services, LLC cannot guarantee or represent that it is accurate or complete.
All investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. There is no assurance that any investment strategy will be successful.

Send us a text

Medicare IRMAA can blindside people who are about to retire - and especially those who have recently retired. In this episode of The Perfect Retirement Plan?, Phillip Smith (Financial Planner with Tidepool Wealth Strategies breaks down IRMAA in plain English and shows how smart retirement planning in your low-tide tax window can lower lifetime premiums and taxes.

You’ll learn about the 2025 IRMAA income thresholds, the 2-year lookback, how Roth conversions and one-time income can trigger the surcharge, and practical ways to set income buffers, time conversions, harvest gains on purpose, and appeal to Social Security with SSA-44 after qualifying life events. If you are an Oregon PERS retiree or OPSRP member, we cover how IRMAA fits into a PERS strategy so your Medicare costs don’t erode your income plan.

00:00 IRMAA shock: why your Medicare bill jumped
00:24 Who this helps and how IRMAA shows up
00:55 Today’s roadmap
01:19 IRMAA basics in plain English
01:43 Two-year lookback and 2025 premiums
02:29 Cliffs, thresholds, and single-filer halves
02:50 The low-tide tax window
03:13 Strategy playbook overview
04:02 Set bracket buffers for Roth conversions
04:25 When to convert: early, throughout, year-end
04:50 Harvest gains and pair with deductions
05:21 SALT cap timing and coordinated deductions
06:01 Muni interest counts; SSA-44 appeal option
06:25 Common pitfalls to avoid
07:12 The widow(er) tax bomb
07:41 Case study: results and lessons
08:16 Action steps this week

Subscribe for more retirement planning content, and explore additional videos at @TidepoolWealth or visit TidepoolWealth.com.

Thanks for tuning in to this episode of The Perfect Retirement Plan, and remember: it's not about having the smartest financial advisor, the most money saved, or the highest probability of retirement success. The perfect retirement plan, for you – is the one you act on.

Phillip Smith, CRPC AIF | Financial Planner
Tidepool Wealth Strategies
450 Country Club Road, Suite 350 | Eugene, OR | 97401

____________________________________________________________________________________________
Additional Disclosures:
The opinions contained in this material are those of the author, and not a recommendation or solicitation to buy or sell investment products. This information is from sources believed to be reliable, but Cetera Wealth Services, LLC cannot guarantee or represent that it is accurate or complete.
All investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. There is no assurance that any investment strategy will be successful.

Send us a text

Running a consultancy, LLC, or S-Corp in the Pacific Northwest and getting close to retirement? This episode of The Perfect Retirement Plan? is built for you. Phillip Smith, Financial Planner with Tidepool Wealth Strategies, shows late-career small business owners how a Solo 401(k) can cut today’s taxes, accelerate savings in your final 5–7 working years, and stay flexible when income is lumpy.

We cover 2025 Solo 401(k) contribution limits, stacking employee deferrals with employer profit sharing, age-50 catch-ups and the enhanced 60–63 super catch-up, plus pretax vs Roth vs after-tax dollars (including when a “mega backdoor Roth” makes sense). You’ll also hear Solo 401(k) vs SEP IRA vs SIMPLE IRA trade-offs for Oregon/Washington owners, S-Corp wage considerations, key setup and funding deadlines, plan loans, rollovers, and practical SECURE 2.0 updates. If you’re searching “Solo 401k for consultants,” “SEP vs Solo 401k,” or “late-career retirement planning for business owners,” start here.

Chapters
00:00 Intro and why this matters when you're nearing retirement
00:29 Solo 401(k) overview for sole proprietors
01:13 Roadmap for the episode
02:07 Solo 401(k) basics and eligibility
02:39 2025 contribution limits, catch-ups, deadlines
04:19 Pretax vs Roth vs after-tax, mega backdoor Roth
06:28 Solo 401(k) vs SEP IRA vs SIMPLE IRA
11:42 Loans and rollover considerations
12:26 SECURE 2.0 updates to note
14:18 Action steps for this quarter
15:08 Closing and disclosure

Subscribe for more on retirement income, tax efficiency, and investment strategy. Explore additional content on our YouTube channel @TidepoolWealth and visit TidepoolWealth.com.

Thanks for tuning in to this episode of The Perfect Retirement Plan, and remember: it's not about having the smartest financial advisor, the most money saved, or the highest probability of retirement success. The perfect retirement plan, for you – is the one you act on.

Phillip Smith, CRPC AIF | Financial Planner
Tidepool Wealth Strategies
450 Country Club Road, Suite 350 | Eugene, OR | 97401

____________________________________________________________________________________________
Additional Disclosures:
The opinions contained in this material are those of the author, and not a recommendation or solicitation to buy or sell investment products. This information is from sources believed to be reliable, but Cetera Wealth Services, LLC cannot guarantee or represent that it is accurate or complete.
All investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. There is no assurance that any investment strategy will be successful.

Send us a text

5 Mistakes to Avoid as You Get Close to Retirement – Clear, Tax-Smart Guidance for People Close to Retirement

Are you close to retirement – or recently retired – and wondering how to dodge the biggest (and priciest) errors people make in their final working years? In this episode, Phillip Smith, CRPC®, financial planner at Tidepool Wealth Strategies, breaks it down in plain English.

What you’ll learn

00:30 Intro – why this topic matters now

01:24 Mistake #1 – getting aggressive too late

02:58 Mistake #2 – Ignoring Sequence-of-Returns risk

04:25 Mistake #3 – Overestimating retirement income

06:02 Mistake #4 – Waiting to Long to Deal With Taxes

08:46 Mistake #5 – Not Planning LIFE after Retirement

10:18 Wrap-Up and Closing

By the end, you’ll have a practical, tax-smart retirement strategy you can use right away.

Helpful Links

• Schedule a 20-minute call – https://www.tidepoolwealth.com/contact
• More videos and podcast episodes – https://www.youtube.com/@tidepoolwealth

#retirementplanning #closetoretirement #abouttoretire #taxsmartretirement #retirementadvice

_________________________________________________________________________________

Sources:

1. Center for Retirement Research at Boston College – “Do Retirees Want to Consume More, Less, or the Same as They Age?”
   https://crr.bc.edu/do-retirees-want-to-consume-more-less-or-the-same-as-they-age/
2. Kiplinger – “How to Avoid the Widow’s Penalty After the Loss of a Spouse”
   https://www.kiplinger.com/retirement/how-to-avoid-the-widows-penalty-after-the-loss-of-a-spouse
3. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics – Consumer Expenditures by Age Group
   https://www.bls.gov/cex/

Thanks for tuning in to this episode of The Perfect Retirement Plan, and remember: it's not about having the smartest financial advisor, the most money saved, or the highest probability of retirement success. The perfect retirement plan, for you – is the one you act on.

Phillip Smith, CRPC AIF | Financial Planner
Tidepool Wealth Strategies
450 Country Club Road, Suite 350 | Eugene, OR | 97401

____________________________________________________________________________________________
Additional Disclosures:
The opinions contained in this material are those of the author, and not a recommendation or solicitation to buy or sell investment products. This information is from sources believed to be reliable, but Cetera Wealth Services, LLC cannot guarantee or represent that it is accurate or complete.
All investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. There is no assurance that any investment strategy will be successful.

Send us a text

If you're about to retire and researching retirement wirhdrawl strategies online, you'll see retirement calculators thay say you must replace 70%-80% of paycheck.

That rule can torpedo real retirement confidence.

In this episode of The Perfect Retirement Plan?, Marine Corps veteran and financial planner Phillip Smith shows why your target isn’t a percentage. It’s 100% clarity that every bill and dream are funded. Learn how a personalized spending number, dynamic “guardrails” withdrawals, and rigorous stress-tests beat the old income-replacement ratio for late-career professionals juggling Social Security, Medicare, and market swings. We unpack payroll-tax myths, hidden IRMAA costs, and mindset shifts that free you to spend without fear. If you’re close to retirement and searching “income replacement rule,” “guardrails withdrawal strategy,” or “how much do I need to retire,” you’ll walk away with concrete next steps for your retirement strategy.

#RetirementPlanning #RetirementIncome #RetirementCalculator

Chapters
00:00 Intro – Replace 100% of Life, not 80% Pay
00:30 Why the 80% Rule Went 'Viral'
01:15 One-Size-Fits-None: Hidden Flaws
02:05 Confidence Over Percentages
03:10 Dynamic Guardrails Spending Strategy
03:56 Case Study: From Percentages to Dollars
04:50 Three Action Steps for Clarity
05:43 Key Takeaways & Closing

Hit SUBSCRIBE and ring the bell for weekly tips on retirement income, tax efficiency, investment strategy, and behavioral finance, or visit TidepoolWealth.com and our YouTube channel @TidepoolWealth for more tips on how to retire well.

Thanks for tuning in to this episode of The Perfect Retirement Plan, and remember: it's not about having the smartest financial advisor, the most money saved, or the highest probability of retirement success. The perfect retirement plan, for you – is the one you act on.

Phillip Smith, CRPC AIF | Financial Planner
Tidepool Wealth Strategies
450 Country Club Road, Suite 350 | Eugene, OR | 97401

____________________________________________________________________________________________
Additional Disclosures:
The opinions contained in this material are those of the author, and not a recommendation or solicitation to buy or sell investment products. This information is from sources believed to be reliable, but Cetera Wealth Services, LLC cannot guarantee or represent that it is accurate or complete.
All investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. There is no assurance that any investment strategy will be successful.

Send us a text

Trade-war headlines spiking your stress? Discover how tariff turmoil can shake markets, and how a solid retirement plan keeps you steady. In this episode of The Perfect Retirement Plan?, Phillip Smith of Tidepool Wealth Strategies unpacks import taxes, retaliation risks, and the 2018 China tariff shock, then shows late-career professionals exactly how to protect (and even grow) their nest egg. You’ll learn why staying invested beats panic selling, how strategic diversification cushions volatility, and where to hunt for bargains when fear misprices quality stocks. Perfect for anyone searching “tariffs and stock market,” “retirement portfolio volatility,” or “trade war investment strategy.”

Chapters Roadmap
• Intro & Emotional Hook – Why tariffs matter to retirees
• Tariffs 101 – How import taxes ripple through portfolios
• Trade-War Case Study – Lessons from the 2018 China shock
• Market Psychology – Fear vs. fundamentals
• Defense Tactics – Diversification and bond ballast
• Opportunity Tactics – Buying strong companies on sale
• Action Steps – Stress-test your plan today
• Closing – Staying the course on the road to retirement

Hit Subscribe and ring the bell for more videos on retirement income, tax efficiency, and investment strategy. Explore additional insights on our YouTube channel @TidepoolWealth and visit TidepoolWealth.com for guidance tailored to Pacific Northwest professionals approaching retirement.

Thanks for tuning in to this episode of The Perfect Retirement Plan, and remember: it's not about having the smartest financial advisor, the most money saved, or the highest probability of retirement success. The perfect retirement plan, for you – is the one you act on.

Phillip Smith, CRPC AIF | Financial Planner
Tidepool Wealth Strategies
450 Country Club Road, Suite 350 | Eugene, OR | 97401

____________________________________________________________________________________________
Additional Disclosures:
The opinions contained in this material are those of the author, and not a recommendation or solicitation to buy or sell investment products. This information is from sources believed to be reliable, but Cetera Wealth Services, LLC cannot guarantee or represent that it is accurate or complete.
All investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. There is no assurance that any investment strategy will be successful.

Send us a text

Ready to squeeze every dollar from Social Security? This episode of The Perfect Retirement Plan? is a must-listen for career professionals getting close to retirement. Want bigger lifetime benefits and lower taxes? Phillip Smith, financial planner and Marine veteran, shows how the right filing sequence can add six figures to lifetime household income and help bolster the surviving spouse’s check.

Chapters Roadmap:
• Why Social Security timing matters for dual-income couples
• Strategy 1: Delaying benefits for a 26% boost and stronger survivor income
• Strategy 2: Coordinating spousal benefits for an instant household “pay raise”
• Strategy 3: Filling the “Tax & IRMAA Gap” with Roth conversions and 0%-rate capital gains
• Strategy 4: Smart moves for widows and widowers to lock in the larger check
• Case study of a Pacific Northwest couple who gained $200k by delaying and converting
• Action steps to claim your SSA.gov account, mark key ages, and run a claiming calculator

If you’re 55-65 and searching “when should I take Social Security,” “maximize spousal benefits,” or “IRMAA avoidance strategy,” hit play now. Then subscribe and ring the bell so you never miss fresh insights on retirement income, tax efficiency, investment strategy, and legacy planning.

Thanks for tuning in to this episode of The Perfect Retirement Plan, and remember: it's not about having the smartest financial advisor, the most money saved, or the highest probability of retirement success. The perfect retirement plan, for you – is the one you act on.

Phillip Smith, CRPC AIF | Financial Planner
Tidepool Wealth Strategies
450 Country Club Road, Suite 350 | Eugene, OR | 97401

____________________________________________________________________________________________
Additional Disclosures:
The opinions contained in this material are those of the author, and not a recommendation or solicitation to buy or sell investment products. This information is from sources believed to be reliable, but Cetera Wealth Services, LLC cannot guarantee or represent that it is accurate or complete.
All investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. There is no assurance that any investment strategy will be successful.

Send us a text

Ready to crank your nest egg into overdrive? This episode of The Perfect Retirement Plan? arms late-career professionals with five quick moves to help pump thousands of extra dollars into retirement accounts before the paycheck stops.

Phillip Smith – financial planner and Marine veteran – reveals how to:

• Max out 2025 401(k) and IRA catch-up contributions, including the new SECURE 2.0 super catch-up;'
• Harvest low-bracket “tax valley” years for Roth conversions that slash future RMDs and Medicare IRMAA charges;
• Nail asset location, so bonds and REITs grow tax-deferred while stocks compound tax free in a Roth;
• Turn an HSA into a triple tax-free retirement bucket;
• Build a taxable bridge account to fund early retirement while delaying Social Security.

Plus, hear why the elusive Mega Backdoor Roth is a bonus, not a must. If you’re 55-65 and googling “boost retirement savings fast,” “catch-up contribution limits,” or “best pre-retirement tax strategies,” this 15-minute episode is for you. Listen now, then hit Subscribe and ring the bell for new episodes on retirement income, tax efficiency, investment strategy, and wealth management.

#RetirementPlanning #RetirementSavings #FinancialAdvice #TaxPlanning

Thanks for tuning in to this episode of The Perfect Retirement Plan, and remember: it's not about having the smartest financial advisor, the most money saved, or the highest probability of retirement success. The perfect retirement plan, for you – is the one you act on.

Phillip Smith, CRPC AIF | Financial Planner
Tidepool Wealth Strategies
450 Country Club Road, Suite 350 | Eugene, OR | 97401

____________________________________________________________________________________________
Additional Disclosures:
The opinions contained in this material are those of the author, and not a recommendation or solicitation to buy or sell investment products. This information is from sources believed to be reliable, but Cetera Wealth Services, LLC cannot guarantee or represent that it is accurate or complete.
All investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. There is no assurance that any investment strategy will be successful.