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
Social Security Spousal Benefit Rules in 2026: The Household Math Most Couples Get Wrong
The spousal benefit pays up to $2,076/month in 2026 — but the real money is in the survivor-benefit framing that most couples miss until it's too late.
#social-security#strategy#retirement-incomeRead → - ·7 min read
How Long Will $1 Million Last in Retirement?
The math is more forgiving than most people think — but only if spending, Social Security timing, and sequence risk are managed deliberately.
#retirement-math#withdrawal-rate#portfolioRead → - ·6 min read
Can You Live Off the Interest of $500,000 in Retirement?
The honest math on what $500,000 generates at current 2026 yields — and why the income-only question is really the wrong question.
#retirement-income#safe-withdrawal-rate#bonds#strategyRead → - ·6 min read
How Much Do You Need to Retire at 60?
Retiring at 60 means funding five years without Medicare and up to seven without Social Security. Here's how to reverse-engineer the real savings target from what you'll actually spend.
#early-retirement#planning#strategyRead → - ·6 min read
RMD Age 75 Under SECURE 2.0: Who Qualifies and What to Do With the Window
If you were born in 1960 or later, SECURE 2.0 gives you until age 75 before required minimum distributions begin — three extra years compared to the class of 1959. Here's what that window is worth mathematically.
#rmd#taxes#strategy#roth-conversionsRead → - ·7 min read
Inherited IRA 10-Year Rule in 2026: Annual RMDs Are No Longer Optional
The IRS penalty waiver for inherited IRA annual RMDs expired after 2024. Here's exactly what the 10-year rule requires in 2026, who owes an annual distribution, and how to spread the tax hit across a decade.
#taxes#retirement-income#rmds#inheritance#secure-actRead → - ·6 min read
Medicare Supplement Plan G vs. Plan N in 2026: Run the Math Before You Choose
Plan G and Plan N share most of their coverage. Here is the exact breakeven calculation — and the one coverage gap that can flip the math in certain markets.
#medicare#healthcare#strategyRead → - ·6 min read
Can I Retire at 55 With $800,000? The Real Math
Eight hundred thousand dollars sits between the posts we've written on $500k and $1.5M — here's the honest math on whether it's enough at 55, what it requires, and what tips the answer from 'probably not' to 'likely yes.'
#early-retirement#case-study#taxes#strategyRead → - ·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
Welcome to Granary
What this is, why I built it, and how it differs from the existing tools.
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