Category: Blog

Roth Conversion Window: The Years High Earners Miss

The Roth conversion window is the stretch of low-bracket years between retirement and RMDs, and it closes for…

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Can I Retire With $2 Million? Real Math for a Single Woman at 55

Author: Hazel Secco, CFP®, CDFA® 🎧 Prefer to watch or listen? This episode of Align Your Retirement covers…

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RSU Tax Withholding: The 22% Mistake That Costs $18,000

Your employer withholds 22% on RSU vests, but your bracket may be 35%. How to close the RSU…

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IRMAA 2026: The Medicare Surcharge That Hits Two Years Late

Author: Hazel Secco, CFP®, CDFA® Table of contents Here is a letter nobody warns you about. You turn…

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The 4% Rule in Retirement: Why It Doesn’t Work for Women

The 4% rule assumes a 30-year retirement. Women often need 35 to 40 years. Here’s the real safe…

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Should a Widow Sell the House? The Two-Year Tax Deadline Nobody Mentions

Should a widow sell the house? The 2-year $500,000 exclusion, the step-up in basis, and when keeping the…

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Laid Off at 55 with $1M+? The Five-Move Financial Checklist

Laid off at 55 with $1M+? The five-move checklist: severance deadlines, stock option windows, COBRA vs. ACA, the…

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Should I Max Out My 401(k)? Why the Answer Changes in Your 50s

Author: Hazel Secco, CFP®, CDFA® 🎧 Prefer to watch or listen? This episode of Align Your Retirement covers…

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Inherited 401(k) Spouse Options: The Choice Widows Under 59½ Get Wrong

Inherited 401k spouse options: why rolling his 401(k) or IRA into your own before 59½ locks it behind…

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Health Insurance Before Medicare: How to Retire Before 65

Retiring before 65? ACA subsidies key off your income. How the MAGI dial, the 2026 subsidy cliff, and…

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