The Granary Blog
Notes on retirement planning, tax strategy, and the math behind getting to financial independence.
Written by the team behind Granary · new posts twice a week
- ·6 min read
Roth IRA Contribution Limits and Income Phase-Outs for 2026
The 2026 Roth IRA limits are $7,500 ($8,600 if 50+), with phase-outs starting at $153K for singles and $242K for couples — and the backdoor strategy that high earners reach for has a trap most guides skip.
#roth-ira#contribution-limits#backdoor-roth#taxesRead → - ·7 min read
How to Manage MAGI and the ACA Subsidy Cliff in Early Retirement
The 400% FPL cliff is back in 2026, and for early retirees on Marketplace coverage, crossing it costs more than a hospital bill. Here's the exact MAGI playbook.
#healthcare#taxes#early-retirement#strategyRead → - ·6 min read
Fat FIRE Number: How Much Do You Actually Need?
Fat FIRE requires a bigger number than most calculators show — because the 4% rule was designed for 30-year retirements, not 40-year ones. Here's the real math.
#fat-fire#early-retirement#strategy#withdrawal-rateRead → - ·6 min read
Average Retirement Savings by Age 50: The Numbers — and Why They Miss the Point
The median 50-year-old has far less saved than the benchmarks recommend. Here's what the data actually shows, why the averages mislead, and the three numbers that matter more.
#savings#benchmarks#retirement-planningRead → - ·8 min read
SEPP 72(t) Rules and Pitfalls: A Clear Guide to Penalty-Free Early IRA Withdrawals
Substantially equal periodic payments can bridge the gap to 59½ — but one wrong move triggers a retroactive tax bill on every dollar you already withdrew.
#early-retirement#taxes#strategyRead → - ·7 min read
Can I Retire at 60 With $800k? The Math on a Tight but Workable Plan
At $50,000 annual spending with ACA subsidies and Social Security at 62, $800k can support a real retirement at 60. Above $60k, the numbers get thin fast.
#early-retirement#strategy#healthcareRead → - ·6 min read
Sequence of Returns Risk: The Hidden Threat Inside Your Average Return
Your portfolio's average return doesn't predict whether your retirement survives. The order of those returns does — and a bad first five years can doom a plan that looks perfectly funded on paper.
#retirement-planning#investing#strategyRead → - ·6 min read
Medicare IRMAA 2026: The Income Thresholds That Can Add $5,800 a Year — and the Two-Year Trap Nobody Warns You About
2026 IRMAA brackets explained with the full surcharge table, the two-year lookback rule, and what a single large Roth conversion at retirement can cost a couple in Medicare premiums.
#medicare#taxes#strategy#irmaaRead → - ·6 min read
RMD Age Is Now 73 (Not 72): The SECURE 2.0 Changes That Still Trip Up Retirees
SECURE 2.0 pushed required minimum distributions to age 73 — and to 75 for anyone born in 1960 or later. Here's exactly who's affected, how the April 1 deadline trap works, and why the years before your first RMD may be your best tax-planning window.
#taxes#retirement-income#rmds#secure-actRead → - ·7 min read
Average Monthly Retirement Income at 65: The Real Numbers and the Gap
The median 65-year-old enters retirement with roughly $1,700–$1,900 from Social Security and about $200,000 in savings — which produces about half the income the average retiree household spends. Here's what the gap actually looks like and the one mistake that makes it permanent.
#retirement-income#social-security#benchmarksRead → - ·6 min read
What Is a Good Monthly Retirement Income?
The median retiree household between 65 and 74 brings in about $5,400 a month — but the number that matters is yours, not the average. Here's how Social Security and savings actually stack.
#retirement-income#social-security#strategyRead → - ·8 min read
When to Claim Social Security as a Married Couple: The Survivor Benefit Math Changes the Answer
For most married couples, the higher earner's claiming age doesn't just set their own monthly check — it determines the survivor's income for life. Running this math as a couple, not two individuals, typically changes the optimal age by several years.
#social-security#strategy#married-couplesRead → - ·8 min read
Roth Conversion Ladder Timeline Example: How the First Ten Years Actually Work
A year-by-year Roth ladder table for a fictional early-retired couple — conversions, bridge funding, and withdrawals mapped out through age 57, with 2026 tax math included.
#early-retirement#taxes#strategy#rothRead → - ·6 min read
The Social Security Tax Torpedo: How IRA Withdrawals Can Secretly Double Your Tax Rate in 2026
When provisional income crosses the $34,000 (single) or $44,000 (married) threshold, each extra dollar of IRA income triggers $1.85 of taxable income. Here's the math — and five ways to defuse it.
#social-security#taxes#strategyRead → - ·8 min read
Retirement Account Withdrawal Order: Taxable, Traditional, or Roth First?
The default withdrawal sequence saves taxes for most retirees — but IRMAA cliffs, ACA thresholds, and RMD exposure can flip it. Here's how to decide which version is yours.
#taxes#strategy#roth-iraRead → - ·7 min read
How Much Do You Need to Retire at 55?
The standard 7× salary benchmark was built for 67-year-olds. Here's the reverse-engineering math that actually answers the question for a 55-year-old: ACA bridge, Social Security gap, and why a 3.5% withdrawal rate changes the target.
#early-retirement#savings-target#healthcare#social-securityRead → - ·6 min read
How Much Do You Need to Retire at 62?
62 is the most popular retirement age in America — and it creates a specific math problem that 65-year-old planning completely ignores.
#early-retirement#social-security#strategyRead → - ·7 min read
Social Security Break-Even Age: 62 vs. 67 vs. 70 — The Math You Actually Need
The break-even calculation is the right starting point for the 62/67/70 decision — but it's missing four factors that regularly flip the answer. Here's the full picture.
#social-security#taxes#strategyRead → - ·6 min read
Safe Withdrawal Rate in 2026: Fixed Rules, Guardrails, and Which to Choose
Morningstar's 2026 research puts the fixed safe rate at 3.9% — but a guardrails approach can justify starting at 5.7%. The number you pick should follow from your strategy, not the other way around.
#strategy#withdrawal-rate#taxesRead → - ·7 min read
Retire at 55 with $1.5 Million: A Case-Study in What Actually Works
A fictional couple retires at 55 with $1.5 million. Here's the withdrawal math, the 10-year healthcare bridge, the Roth conversion window, and what could still go wrong.
#early-retirement#withdrawal-rate#strategyRead → - ·6 min read
Roth IRA Withdrawal Rules After 59½: The 5-Year Rule Still Matters
Turning 59½ removes the 10% penalty on Roth IRA withdrawals — but it doesn't automatically make earnings tax-free. The five-year rule is a separate gate, and it trips up late starters every year.
#roth-ira#taxes#strategy#early-retirementRead → - ·6 min read
Healthcare Before Medicare: How to Cover the 10-Year Gap in 2026
COBRA, ACA marketplace, and part-time employer coverage each solve the pre-Medicare gap differently — and the option that costs you least depends almost entirely on how much income you show.
#healthcare#early-retirement#ACA#taxesRead → - ·5 min read
How Long Will $500,000 Last in Retirement? A Spending-Rate Reality Check
$500,000 is the most-searched retirement balance for a reason — it's what millions of Americans actually have. Whether it lasts 11 years or forever depends almost entirely on monthly spending, not market returns.
#retirement-planning#withdrawal-strategy#social-securityRead → - ·6 min read
Is the 4% Rule Still Valid in 2026?
The rule survives, with caveats. Morningstar puts the safe number at 3.9% for 2026 retirees; early retirees face a harder case. Here's what the actual research says.
#withdrawal-strategies#retirement-planning#taxesRead → - ·6 min read
Coast FIRE vs. Barista FIRE: Which Semi-Retirement Strategy Fits Your Numbers?
Two strategies for leaving the career treadmill before 65 — one asks for less money but more patience, the other buys you an exit now. Here's the math that separates them.
#early-retirement#fire#strategyRead → - ·3 min read
The ACA Subsidy Cliff Is Back in 2026. Early Retirees Need a MAGI Budget.
The 400% FPL cliff returned when the enhanced credits expired — one dollar of extra income can cost thousands in premium subsidies. Here's the math and the playbook.
#healthcare#taxes#early-retirementRead → - ·3 min read
How Long Will $1.5 Million Last in Retirement? Longer Than You Fear, Shorter Than You Hope
The honest math on a $1.5M retirement: what the 4% rule says, what Social Security changes, and the one risk averages hide.
#withdrawal-strategy#planningRead → - ·3 min read
Rule of 55 vs. Roth Conversion Ladder: Which Bridge Gets You to 59½?
Two legal ways to spend retirement money before 59½ — and the rollover mistake that quietly closes the better door.
#early-retirement#taxes#strategyRead → - ·1 min read
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