Working Past 70 — RMDs, Social Security Timing & Making Your Income Last

More Americans are working into their 70s — and it changes the retirement playbook. In this episode Chris Drew explains the three big things to know if you keep working after 70: required minimum distributions (how RMD rules differ for IRAs vs. employer plans when you’re still employed), Social Security timing (why benefits stop growing after age 70 and how earned income can reduce early benefits), and the tax traps that come from combining wages, pensions, and Social Security. Chris walks through practical fixes: build a guaranteed “floor” for income (pensions, Social Security, or annuity income) so the rest of your portfolio can be managed for growth; use bucketed portfolios and systematic withdrawals to avoid selling into down markets; shop new fixed-rate options (short-term Treasuries, CDs, fixed annuities) now that yields are higher; and sequence withdrawals tax-sensitively (taxable → tax-deferred → Roth or the reverse, depending on your bracket). He also covers operational steps every late-career worker should do: review healthcare/Medicare timing, check beneficiary/title accuracy, run Monte Carlo stress tests and cost-and-risk reports, and avoid hardship withdrawals or 401(k) loans that can derail momentum. Plainspoken, tactical, and focused on keeping more of your paycheck in retirement rather than giving it to Uncle Sam — this episode gives the checklist and the questions you should bring to your advisor before you work (or stop working) in your 70s. Want help applying this to your situation? Book a free consultation at https://askthecaptain.com or call 833-DREW-CAP (833-373-9227).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.