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

In episode 79 of Retirement Planning with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna explore how retirees can use a Donor Advised Fund (DAF) to bunch charitable donations and maximize tax deductions, even after taking the standard deduction. They walk through a concrete example: a retired couple with $50,000 in annual charitable giving who can contribute 5 years' worth into a DAF in one year, itemize deductions in t...

Episode 78 of Retirement Planning with Fexingo dives into the SEP IRA, a powerful but often overlooked retirement vehicle for the self-employed and small business owners. Lucas and Luna break down the 2026 contribution limits, the tax deduction mechanics, and a concrete example of how a freelance graphic designer can shelter over $70,000 from taxes annually. They compare SEP IRAs with Solo 401(k)s...

In this episode of Retirement Planning with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna explore the retiree longevity insurance annuity strategy, a deferred income annuity designed to provide guaranteed income starting at an advanced age like 80 or 85. They break down how this strategy can protect against outliving savings, with specific examples using a $100,000 premium from a 65-year-old retiree generating roughly...

Episode 76 of Retirement Planning with Fexingo: 401k, IRA, and Saving for Your Future dives into the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) for federal retirees and how to avoid costly mistakes when transferring funds out of TSP after retirement. Lucas and Luna explain the TSP's unique features — including the G Fund's stable value and the low expense ratios — and why many retirees rush to move their money to...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna break down the Roth conversion ladder strategy for retirees in 2026. They explain how converting traditional IRA funds to a Roth IRA over several years can reduce future RMDs and lower lifetime tax bills. Using a concrete example of a retiree with $800,000 in a traditional IRA, they walk through the five-year rule, marginal tax rate considerations, and the 'tax brac...

If you have an IRA and plan to leave it to a trust for your heirs, there's a ticking tax bomb you need to know about. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explain the so-called 'trust trap' created by the SECURE Act's 10-year rule and how it can force beneficiaries to empty an inherited IRA within a decade, often at the highest marginal tax rates. They walk through a concrete example: a $400,000 IRA le...

Episode 73 of Retirement Planning with Fexingo digs into a powerful but underused maneuver: combining required minimum distributions with qualified charitable distributions in the same year. Lucas and Luna break down the rules, the tax impact, and a real-life example of a 72-year-old retiree who shifted $50,000 from a traditional IRA to charity, slashing her adjusted gross income by $12,000. They...

Episode 72 of Retirement Planning with Fexingo explores a powerful retirement savings strategy for self-employed retirees: the solo 401k. Lucas and Luna break down how a retired consultant in her 60s can contribute up to $76,500 in 2026 by combining employee deferrals with employer profit-sharing. They compare solo 401ks to SEP IRAs and SIMPLE IRAs, highlighting the trade-off between higher contri...

In this episode of Retirement Planning with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna explore the fixed indexed annuity as a tool for generating guaranteed lifetime income in retirement. They walk through how a retiree named Carol, age 62, used a portion of her 401k rollover to purchase a fixed indexed annuity with a lifetime income rider, locking in a 5.2% income credit and a 4% annual cap tied to the S&P 500. Tog...

Episode 70 of Retirement Planning with Fexingo dives into self-directed IRAs and how retirees can invest in real estate within a tax-advantaged account. Lucas and Luna discuss the rules, prohibited transactions, and the case of a retiree who bought a rental property through a Solo 401k. They cover what works, what doesn't, and the compliance traps that trip up DIY investors. Perfect for listeners...

In this episode of Retirement Planning with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna explore the retiree annuity ladder strategy for 2026. They break down how combining immediate, deferred, and fixed indexed annuities can create a reliable income stream while managing interest rate risk. Using a case study of a 65-year-old retiree with $500,000, they walk through allocating $100,000 to an immediate annuity for bas...

Episode 68 of Retirement Planning with Fexingo examines how retirees might use a Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) — commonly known as a reverse mortgage — as a strategic tool in 2026. Lucas and Luna break down the real numbers: a hypothetical couple, both 68, with a $600,000 home and no mortgage, could access roughly $3,000 per month through a line of credit that grows over time. They contra...

In this episode of Retirement Planning with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna explore tax bracket arbitrage—a strategy where retirees deliberately manage their taxable income to fill up lower tax brackets each year. Using a concrete example of a married couple with a $60,000 annual pension, they show how withdrawing an additional $30,000 from a traditional IRA at the 12% bracket can save thousands in future...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the retiree in-kind RMD strategy, a tax-smart way to satisfy Required Minimum Distributions without selling appreciated assets. They walk through how transferring shares directly from an IRA to a taxable account avoids triggering capital gains, preserves compounding, and offers flexibility for gifting or rebalancing. Using the example of a retiree with a con...

In this episode of Retirement Planning with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna dissect one of the most overlooked traps for retirees who keep working before reaching full retirement age: the Social Security earnings test. Using a concrete example of a 63-year-old retiree earning $60,000 from a part-time consulting gig, they show exactly how the test reduces benefits by $1 for every $2 earned above the annual...

When should retirees claim Social Security? The conventional wisdom says wait until 70 for maximum benefits, but the breakeven age often falls in the late 70s or early 80s. For a 62-year-old with average health and a $2,000 monthly benefit at full retirement age, claiming at 62 yields $1,500 per month, while waiting until 70 yields $2,640. The breakeven point is around age 80. But this episode dig...

Retirees often think of health savings accounts as just a way to pay for medical expenses, but they can be a powerful long-term investment tool. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how HSA funds can be invested in stocks, bonds, and ETFs, growing tax-free for decades. They walk through the triple tax advantage, the catch-up contribution for those 55 and older, and how to use an HSA like a supe...

Conventional retirement planning wisdom says to keep your emergency fund in a savings account, not a Roth IRA. But in 2026, with high-yield savings rates hovering around 4.5% and Roth IRA contribution limits at $7,500 for those 50 and older, the math is worth a second look. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore a specific strategy: using a Roth IRA as a dual-purpose account that can serve as bot...

Lucas and Luna dive into the Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) strategy for retirees in 2026. They explain how retirees aged 70½ or older can transfer up to $105,000 directly from their IRA to charity, satisfying Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) tax-free. The episode covers the inflation-adjusted limit for 2026, the interaction with the SECURE Act 2.0, and a practical example showing ho...

Most people think employer 401k matches always go into pre-tax accounts. But in 2026, a little-known IRS rule lets companies deposit the match into your Roth 401k instead — if the plan allows it. Lucas and Luna break down how this works, why it's a game-changer for tax-free growth, and what to ask your HR department this open enrollment. They also cover the catch: unlike your own Roth contribution...

Most people think tax-loss harvesting is only for accumulators, but retirees can use it too—especially in 2026 with the updated capital gains brackets. Lucas walks Luna through how a retiree with a $1.2 million brokerage portfolio harvested $18,000 in losses this spring, offsetting both gains and up to $3,000 in ordinary income. They discuss the wash-sale rule trap, the difference between taxable...

Episode 58 of Retirement Planning with Fexingo: Lucas and Luna uncover a little-known pitfall in the Saver's Credit for 2026. Many low-to-moderate-income retirees who continue contributing to a 401k or IRA inadvertently disqualify themselves from the credit due to the adjusted gross income phaseout. Lucas walks through the specific numbers for a single filer earning $36,000: how a $1,000 contribut...

In Episode 57 of Retirement Planning with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna tackle a little-known pitfall that can cost retirees thousands: the Social Security earnings test. Using a concrete example of a 63-year-old retiree earning $35,000 from a part-time consulting gig, Lucas explains how the test temporarily withholds benefits if you claim early and earn above the annual limit — and why many retirees mi...

Episode 56 of Retirement Planning with Fexingo explores tax-gain harvesting, a strategy where retirees sell appreciated assets in low-income years to reset their cost basis tax-free. Lucas and Luna break down how this works with a concrete example: a retiree with a $50,000 long-term capital gain who owes zero tax thanks to the 0% bracket. They discuss the 2026 adjusted income thresholds, the inter...

In this episode of Retirement Planning with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna break down the 401k catch-up contribution rules for 2026. With the SECURE 2.0 Act changes now fully in effect, participants aged 50 and older can contribute an extra $7,500 to their 401k, but there's a new twist: for those earning over $145,000, the catch-up must go into a Roth account. We explain the mechanics, the income thresho...