Blog
Federal Retirement Planning Beyond a Generic Pension Input: FERS Supplement, Pension COLA, and Bridge Income
March 28, 2026
Federal retirement planning is more than entering a pension. The harder problem is modeling FERS supplement timing, bridge income, pension COLA, taxes, Social Security, and withdrawals year by year inside the full plan.
Federal Retirement Planning, Finally Modeled Correctly: FERS, 457(b), Bridge Income, and Pension Offsets
March 23, 2026
A lot of retirement software treats government benefits like a flat pension plus Social Security. That misses the real planning problem. Fatboy now models bridge income, FERS supplements, pension COLA, later pension offsets, and governmental 457(b) accounts with much more realism.
Roth vs. Traditional IRA: Which Is Better for Retirement Tax Planning?
March 22, 2026
Should you choose a Roth IRA or a Traditional IRA? The right answer depends less on today’s deduction and more on future tax rates, RMD exposure, and how much retirement tax flexibility you want.
Backdoor Roth IRA Rules: How It Works, Limits, and Pro-Rata Tax Traps
March 22, 2026
A backdoor Roth IRA can help high earners get money into Roth space, but the pro-rata rule, old IRA balances, and sloppy basis tracking can turn a simple conversion into a tax problem.
Your Retirement Plan, Anywhere: How We Built Cross-Device Sync Without Compromising Privacy
March 14, 2026
Typing your salary, accounts, pension, and Social Security numbers twice is a bad user experience. We fixed it. Your plan now moves between desktop and browser — encrypted client-side, so we never see your financial data.
4 Safe Withdrawal Strategies for Retirement: Fixed SWR, Guardrails, Floor-Ceiling
March 6, 2026
Compare Fixed SWR, Constant Percentage, Guardrails, and Floor-Ceiling spending to find the retirement withdrawal strategy that matches your income needs and risk tolerance.
Inherited IRA Rules 2026: The 10-Year Rule Is Now Fully in Effect
March 2, 2026
The IRS waived inherited IRA RMDs from 2021 through 2024. That grace period is over. In 2026, most non-spouse beneficiaries must take annual distributions — and empty the account within 10 years.
Why Your Retirement Plan Needs More Than One Future: Understanding Monte Carlo Stress Testing
March 1, 2026
Most retirement calculators ask what rate of return you expect, then draw a single line from today to your death. It’s reassuring. It’s also almost certainly wrong. Markets don’t deliver 7% every year — you don’t live the average. You live the sequence.
Your Heirs Have a Tax Problem. Your Retirement Plan Isn’t Showing It.
March 1, 2026
You built a $2M traditional IRA. When you die, your heirs don’t get $2M — they get a 10-year countdown to distribute a fully taxable account, often at the worst possible time in their earning lives. Most retirement software never shows you this.
OBBBA Changes Everything: The One Big Beautiful Bill Act and What It Means for Your Retirement Plan
January 19, 2025
Remember panicking about TCJA expiration? That’s over. OBBBA made the tax rates permanent, added a new senior deduction, and created a critical 2025-2028 window for Roth conversions. Your retirement plan just changed - here’s how.
Social Security Optimization: Why ‘Wait Until 70’ Isn’t Always the Right Answer
January 18, 2025
Delay Social Security until 70 and get 24% more per month! Sounds great - until you realize you gave up $156,000 in early benefits to get that raise. Will you live long enough to break even?
IRMAA Planning: The Medicare Surcharge That Can Cost You $150,000+ in Retirement
January 17, 2025
You’re 65. Your income hits $103,001. Congratulations - you just triggered an extra $1,678/year in Medicare premiums. And because it’s based on 2-year-old income, you might not even realize it until you get the bill.
The 4% Rule Is Broken: Why Dynamic Withdrawal Strategies Beat Fixed Percentages
January 16, 2025
You retire with $1M. Withdraw 4% ($40k) per year, adjusted for inflation. You’ll never run out of money. Except when you do - which is about 25-30% of the time in modern simulations.
Roth Conversion Ladder Strategy: Pay Less Tax Over Your Lifetime
January 15, 2025
You spent 30 years deferring taxes into traditional IRAs. At 73, the IRS forces you to withdraw money you don’t need, pushing you into higher brackets and triggering Medicare surcharges. There’s a better way.
TCJA Expiration 2026: The Tax Bomb Nobody’s Modeling (And How to Defuse It)
January 14, 2025
Your retirement plan assumes 2024 tax rates forever. TCJA expires in 659 days. Your actual tax bill could be 20-30% higher than you’re modeling. Are you planning for fantasy tax rates or reality?
The Retirement Red Zone: Why the 5 Years Before and After Retirement Are Make or Break
January 13, 2025
You’ve spent 30 years building your nest egg. A market crash in the wrong 24-month window can destroy decades of careful saving. Welcome to the retirement red zone.
Sequence of Returns Risk: Why Your Retirement Date Matters More Than Average Returns
January 12, 2025
Your portfolio averages 7% returns. You retire. The market drops 30% in year one. Are you still okay? Probably not - and here’s why sequence matters more than averages.