Retirement Planning with Fexingo: 401k, IRA, and Saving for Your Future

In this episode, Lucas and Luna break down the Backdoor Roth IRA strategy for high-income earners in 2026. They explain the IRS income limits for direct Roth IRA contributions — $161,000 for single filers and $240,000 for married couples filing jointly — and how the backdoor method lets you legally convert a nondeductible traditional IRA to a Roth IRA regardless of income. They walk through the st...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore a little-known retirement savings tool for retirees who earn side income: the solo 401k. They break down how this plan works, why it can be more powerful than a SEP IRA for self-employed retirees, and the key contribution limits for 2026. They walk through a concrete example of a retired consultant earning $40,000 in freelance income who can defer up to $23,...

Episode 102 of Retirement Planning with Fexingo explores donor-advised funds (DAFs) as a strategic tool for retirees who want to give to charity while maximizing tax benefits. Lucas and Luna break down how a DAF works, the tax advantages of donating appreciated stock instead of cash, and the rule that lets you bunch multiple years of contributions into one tax year. They walk through a concrete ex...

Episode 101 of Retirement Planning with Fexingo explores the Qualified Longevity Annuity Contract (QLAC), a little-known IRS-approved annuity that lets retirees defer required minimum distributions (RMDs) on a portion of their retirement savings — up to the lesser of $200,000 or 25% of account balances. Lucas breaks down the mechanics: how a QLAC purchased inside a 401(k) or traditional IRA can de...

Episode 100 of Retirement Planning with Fexingo explores a powerful but often overlooked strategy for retirees with taxable brokerage accounts: tax-loss harvesting. Lucas and Luna break down how selling losing investments before year-end can offset realized capital gains from rebalancing or selling winners, using a concrete example of a retiree with a $50,000 gain from selling Apple stock and a $3...

In this episode of Retirement Planning with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna break down the Roth conversion ladder strategy for early retirees looking to access retirement funds penalty-free before age 59 and a half. They walk through the classic example of a retiree at age 50 with a $500,000 traditional IRA who wants to tap funds at 55 without triggering the 10% early withdrawal penalty. The conversation...

Many retirees assume they must wait until age 59 and a half to tap retirement funds without penalty. But the IRS Rule of 55 offers a lesser-known exception: if you leave your job in or after the year you turn 55, you can withdraw from that employer's 401k penalty-free. In this episode, Lucas and Luna unpack how the rule works, who qualifies, and the critical gotchas—including why it does not apply...

Episode 97 of Retirement Planning with Fexingo dives into the often-overlooked Retirement Saver Credit, a tax credit that can reduce your federal tax bill by up to $1,000 for individuals or $2,000 for couples, simply by contributing to a 401(k) or IRA. Lucas and Luna break down the income limits for 2026, the phaseout thresholds, and why this credit is especially valuable for low- and middle-incom...

Medicare IRMAA surcharges can quietly eat thousands of dollars per year from retirees' Social Security and savings. In this episode of Retirement Planning with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna break down how IRMAA works in 2026, why a one-time Roth conversion or capital gain can trigger a surprise penalty, and the three-step strategy to manage your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) two years before Med...

In Episode 95, Lucas and Luna explore the cash balance pension plan, a hybrid retirement vehicle that combines the predictability of a defined-benefit pension with the portability of a defined-contribution plan. They walk through a concrete example: Dr. Sarah Mitchell, a 52-year-old physician running her own practice, who wants to supercharge her retirement savings beyond the 401(k) limit. Lucas e...

Episode 94 of Retirement Planning with Fexingo. Lucas and Luna dive into self-directed IRAs, exploring how retirees can use them to invest in real estate—specifically rental properties. They walk through the rules: you need a custodian like Equity Trust or Alto IRA, the property must be titled in the IRA's name, and all expenses and income must flow through the account. They highlight a pitfall: p...

In this episode of Retirement Planning with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna explore the fixed indexed annuity as a strategic tool for retirees seeking both growth potential and downside protection. They break down how a fixed indexed annuity differs from a variable annuity, how the crediting methods work (including point-to-point and participation rates), and why the current interest rate environment in m...

In this episode of Retirement Planning with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna explore a controversial retirement planning tool: the reverse mortgage. They discuss how a home equity conversion mortgage (HECM) can be used strategically to reduce sequence-of-returns risk, delay Social Security, and create a tax-efficient income stream. Lucas explains the mechanics, including how the loan is repaid, the role of...

In this episode of Retirement Planning with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna reveal how retirees can turn a Health Savings Account into a powerful tax-free income tool — not just for medical costs, but as a stealth retirement account. They walk through a real example: a 65-year-old couple with $50,000 in out-of-pocket healthcare expenses in retirement, and how paying those from an HSA instead of a traditio...

In episode 90 of Retirement Planning with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna break down the biggest Required Minimum Distribution changes from the SECURE Act 2.0 that take effect in 2026. They focus on the new RMD starting age of 73, the reduced penalty for missed RMDs (from 50% to 25%), and the expanded QCD limit of $105,000 indexed for inflation. The hosts use a concrete example: a retiree with a $500,000...

In this episode of Retirement Planning with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna explore the spousal IRA strategy—a powerful tool that allows a working spouse to contribute to a retirement account for a non-working or lower-earning spouse. They break down the 2026 contribution limits, income eligibility rules, and the potential tax benefits, using a concrete example of a couple where one spouse stays home with...

Episode 88 of Retirement Planning with Fexingo dives into the Medicare Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount, or IRMAA, a surcharge on Part B and Part D premiums that catches many retirees off guard. Lucas and Luna break down the 2026 income brackets from the IRS and Social Administration, explain how a one-time Roth conversion or capital gain can trigger a two-year lag penalty, and walk throug...

In this episode of Retirement Planning with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna break down the often-overlooked Social Security spousal benefit strategy. They use the case of a couple named Mark and Julie—Mark is the higher earner, Julie is 62 and considering claiming early. Lucas explains the math: Julie can claim a spousal benefit worth up to 50 percent of Mark's full retirement age benefit, but if she clai...

In episode 86 of Retirement Planning with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna explore a lesser-known strategy: using a permanent life insurance policy—specifically a cash-value whole life or indexed universal life policy—as a source of tax-free retirement income. They break down how policy loans and withdrawals can supplement IRA and 401k distributions without triggering income tax, and why this works best fo...

Episode 85 of Retirement Planning with Fexingo explores the Health Savings Account (HSA) as a powerful but often overlooked retirement tool. Hosts Lucas and Luna explain how HSAs offer a triple tax advantage—tax-deductible contributions, tax-deferred growth, and tax-free withdrawals for qualified medical expenses—making them a unique complement to 401(k)s and IRAs. They walk through eligibility ru...

In episode 84 of Retirement Planning with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna dive into a powerful but often overlooked retirement savings tool: the spousal IRA catch-up contribution. With 2026 rules allowing a spouse with little or no earned income to contribute up to $8,000 annually, this episode walks through a concrete example: a 58-year-old non-working spouse contributing $8,000 per year for 7 years, gro...

In Episode 83 of Retirement Planning with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna break down the bond ladder strategy — a method for retirees to generate predictable income from a portfolio of individual bonds with staggered maturities. Using real numbers and a concrete example, they explain how a five-year ladder of Treasury notes can produce a 4.2 percent yield in mid-2026, reduce reinvestment risk, and avoid t...

In episode 82, Lucas and Luna explore the charitable remainder trust, or CRT, as a tax-efficient strategy for retirees who want to donate assets and generate lifetime income. Using a real-world example of a retiree with $500,000 in highly appreciated stock, they walk through how a CRT can avoid capital gains tax, provide a 5% annual payout, and leave the remainder to charity. They compare it to si...

Episode 81 of Retirement Planning with Fexingo breaks down how retirees can build a guaranteed income floor using fixed annuities—without the complexity of variable or indexed products. Lucas and Luna walk through a real-world example: a 67-year-old retiree with $500,000 in savings allocating $150,000 to a multi-year guaranteed annuity (MYGA) paying 4.2% for five years. They explain how this strat...

Episode 80 of Retirement Planning with Fexingo explores Qualified Longevity Annuity Contracts (QLACs), a little-known strategy for retirees to defer Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) on a portion of their retirement savings. Lucas and Luna explain how QLACs work, the updated 2026 dollar limit of $200,000 or 25% of account balances, and why they can be a powerful tool for managing tax brackets...