Plan which accounts to withdraw from and when. The right withdrawal order can save you tens of thousands in taxes over your retirement.
Get Started FreeMost retirees have money in multiple account types: 401(k)s, Traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs, brokerage accounts, and bank savings. Each has different tax treatment. The order you withdraw from these accounts can mean the difference between paying 12% and 24% in federal taxes — potentially costing $50,000-$100,000 over a 30-year retirement.
Add Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) starting at 73, Social Security income, and IRMAA surcharges on Medicare premiums, and the optimization puzzle becomes impossible to solve with a simple rule of thumb.
The 4% rule tells you how much to withdraw — but not from where. Withdrawing $60,000 from a 401(k) creates $60,000 in taxable income. The same withdrawal from a Roth IRA creates zero taxable income. A tax-aware withdrawal plan considers not just how much but which accounts and in what sequence.
Automatic tax-aware withdrawal sequencing that adapts year by year as your income sources change.
Bullseye follows the tax-efficient sequence: bank and savings first (tax-free), then brokerage (capital gains), then 401(k)/IRA (ordinary income), and Roth last (preserve tax-free growth).
Required Minimum Distributions are automatically calculated using IRS Uniform Lifetime Tables starting at age 73. RMD amounts are factored into your taxable income projections.
See which federal tax bracket you fall into each year. Identify opportunities to fill lower brackets with Roth conversions before RMDs push you higher.
Medicare IRMAA surcharges depend on your income from two years prior. Bullseye tracks your projected MAGI so you can avoid crossing bracket thresholds.
Tom has $200K in savings, $500K in a 401(k), and $150K in a Roth IRA. Instead of withdrawing proportionally from all accounts, Bullseye draws from savings first (tax-free), delays 401(k) withdrawals until necessary, and preserves the Roth for last. This strategy keeps Tom in the 12% bracket for 8 additional years, saving an estimated $34,000 in federal taxes over his retirement.
At 73, Barbara's RMDs add $28,000 to her income on top of $32,000 in Social Security. This pushes 85% of her Social Security into taxable income and triggers IRMAA surcharges. Bullseye shows that Roth conversions in her late 60s would have reduced her 401(k) balance — and her RMDs — keeping her in a lower bracket and saving $2,400/year in IRMAA premiums. Use our RMD calculator to check your projected distributions.
Mike retires at 58 with $400K in a brokerage and $600K in a 401(k). He can't access the 401(k) without penalty until 59½. Bullseye automatically draws from brokerage first, switches to 401(k) at 59½, and models the tax impact of each transition year. The result: a smooth income stream with no early withdrawal penalties and minimal tax surprises.
Run your own personalized projection with your actual numbers — free.
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