avatarMatthew R. Harris (aka Safe Money Matt)

Summary

Jessica and Mark, two police officers nearing retirement, are seeking strategies to minimize taxes on their pension income and retire in five years with additional travel funds.

Abstract

Jessica, aged 51, and Mark, aged 54, are both anticipating substantial monthly pensions in five years, with Jessica receiving 5,600 and Mark 5,100, all taxable. They have accumulated significant savings in their 457 plans, with Jessica contributing 28k/year to her 722k balance and Mark contributing 26k/year to his 600k balance. Their goal is to have an extra 40,000 annually for travel with their children post-retirement. With a combined guaranteed pension income of 10,700/month and approximately 1.8M in taxable retirement assets, they are exploring tax mitigation strategies. Their proposed plan includes shifting to Roth 457 contributions, performing annual Roth conversions to transfer 1.5M into a tax-free environment before Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) begin, and using a fixed annuity to cover vacation expenses and taxes without dipping into their principal.

Opinions

  • The author suggests that despite the pension income preventing a completely tax-free retirement, Jessica and Mark can still significantly reduce their tax burden.
  • The strategy emphasizes the importance of converting taxable retirement funds to a tax-free status through Roth contributions and conversions.
  • The author implies that careful planning can allow Jessica and Mark to maintain their desired lifestyle, including travel, in retirement while optimizing their tax position.
  • The use of a fixed annuity is recommended as a method to fund additional expenses and pay taxes without affecting the retirement savings principal.
  • The author is optimistic about the couple's ability to achieve their retirement goals through the outlined tax mitigation strategies.

Police Officers with Pension Income Want to Minimize Taxes & Retire in 5 Years

Photo by Cristina Gottardi on Unsplash

(don’t forget to checkout the video of this case study)

⭐️ Here are the details ⭐️

✅ Jessica is 51 with a $5600/month pension in 5 years

✅ Mark is 54 with a $5100/month pension income in 5 years

✅ Jessica has $722k in a 457 plan & contributes $28k/year

✅ Mark has $600k in a 457 plan & contributes $26k/year

✅ Want $40,000/year beyond pension to travel with their kids

⭐️ Total Assets & Income at Retirement ⭐️

✅ $10,700/month of guaranteed income for life from pension (all taxable)

✅ Approximately $1.8M in taxable retirement assets at retirement (457s/deferred comp)

The pension prevents a tax-free retirement but they can still minimize taxes significantly

⭐️ Tax mitigation strategy ⭐️

STEP 1: Shift all contributions to Roth 457 (if available) until retirement

This should move $300k to a tax-free environment

STEP 2: Perform $100k Roth conversion every year for 15 years

🌟 The goal is to convert $1.5M of taxable retirement money to tax-free environment BEFORE the required minimum distributions kick in

🌟 This can all be done optimally in the 24% tax bracket

STEP 3: Utilize a fixed annuity to fund the vacation budget AND pay all the taxes without touching a dollar of principle 😏

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Enjoy this blog? You’ll probably enjoy this one as well: Over 50 With Over $500k of Taxable Retirement Money?! What Should You Do?!

To your success,

Matt

Retirement
Retirement Planning
Financial Planning
Money
Investing
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