Sep 10, 2026 · 39 min
Retirement plans face tradeoffs on taxes, longevity, and guaranteed income
09.10.26 Ask An Advisor With Wes Moss
The episode shows how retirement decisions change when taxes, health, family benefits, and the need for dependable income collide.
- 1Withdrawal strategies should reflect longevity, disability, tax exposure, and the flexibility of a retiree’s assets.
- 2Traditional and Roth accounts serve different tax situations, making current and future brackets central to the choice.
- 3Newer workplace-plan annuities may offer guaranteed income with lower fees than traditional retail annuities.
Don't miss
Wes Moss explains how annuities available inside workplace retirement plans may combine guaranteed income with lower fees.
The brief
Clark Howard and Wes Moss open a rapid-fire Ask an Advisor session on the practical questions that shape retirement readiness, from savings and debt to daily purpose and enjoyment.
The discussion tests familiar rules against real circumstances: withdrawal rates may change with longevity and disability, while pension survivor choices depend on timing, health, and household needs.
Taxes connect the episode’s biggest decisions, from traditional versus Roth accounts to Social Security’s tax torpedo, Roth conversions, capital gains, and measured withdrawals.
Wes also explains how newer annuity options inside 401(k) and 403(b) plans could provide guaranteed income without the fee structure of traditional retail annuities.
The broader lesson is that retirement planning is less about one universal rule than coordinating income, taxes, health, family obligations, and a fulfilling life.
