questions

[jIM_Ohio]

"annual retirement income" vs "annual retirement spending"
If I know what I need to spend, but do not know my retirement income (RMDs or sources), what should I use in each (same number?).

Roth conversions-
Is there a way to plan for Roth conversions (from tax deferred) to extent it caps out 15% tax bracket?

I am assuming columns do the following:
column 1 gives where I am and what age I expect to stop working
column 2 is current values of accounts on top, then additions to those accounts while working.

The third column could use some explanation- especially the options which bring up new windows.

[jimr]

"annual retirement income" vs "annual retirement spending"
If I know what I need to spend, but do not know my retirement income (RMDs or sources), what should I use in each (same number?).

The annual retirement income field is for sources of income that you are expecting such as pension income or social security. In order to make an accurate plan, it's necessary to estimate these at least to some extent. If you're not sure about them, you could try modeling different amounts to see how well your plan will work with various levels of retirement income. Also, you can get an estimate of your expected social security income from the social security benefits calculator web site.

RMDs shouldn't be entered as income, however, if you'd like to model RMDs in your plan, you can do so using the RMD option in the spending policy configuration window. RMDs will automatically be taken from your tax deferred portfolio and the after tax proceeds will be used to fund expenses.

If there's any extra left over from the RMD, it will be automatically added to your taxable portfolio balance.

Roth conversions-
Is there a way to plan for Roth conversions (from tax deferred) to extent it caps out 15% tax bracket?

Sorry, the planner isn't smart enough to know how to do that.

I am assuming columns do the following:
column 1 gives where I am and what age I expect to stop working
column 2 is current values of accounts on top, then additions to those accounts while working.

The third column could use some explanation- especially the options which bring up new windows.

There is some subtlety there so I tried to explain each entry on the planner's documentation pages.

If you have additional questions, please let me know.

Jim