We write about the questions retirees really ask: How much can I withdraw each month? Will my money last? How do taxes affect my paycheck? What if the market drops right after I retire? Should I buy an annuity? Our articles explain withdrawal strategies, the math behind common rules, how to sequence your accounts for tax efficiency, and mistakes to watch for. Find the topic that matches where you are.
· 7-minute read
How to set your pay with a guardrails withdrawal strategy for retirement
In exchange, the starting paycheck is higher than a fixed 4 percent would pay.
Read the guide →· 9-minute read
Tolleson Wealth Management and the mistake behind the 4 percent rule vs. guardrails debate
The rule doesn't take 4 percent of each year's balance, as often assumed; it takes 4 percent once ($48K on $1.2M) and then raises that dollar amount for inflation.
Read the guide →· 9-minute read
How Tolleson Wealth Management explains how much you can withdraw in retirement
Many people read the 4 percent figure as a yearly return they can spend.
Read the guide →· 9-minute read
Questions for a Retirement Income Advisor: The Tolleson Wealth Management Checklist
The prompt often arrives with a rollover packet, an annuity notice, or the first letter asking you to select a distribution option.
Read the guide →· 9-minute read
Sequence of Returns Risk in Retirement: What a Bad First Year Costs
Most people assume the average return decides the outcome, but once withdrawals start the order decides it.
Read the guide →· 9-minute read
Should I choose a fee-only vs. commission advisor for $800K?
The number that frames the choice is total cost, not the first charge you see, and it depends on fund expenses, sales loads, how long you stay, and the work you receive.
Read the guide →· 10-minute read
A cash bucket for retirees nearing the paycheck years
On a $1M portfolio drawing $40K annually, each extra year of cash costs about $1,200 annually in lost growth, assuming a 3 percent gap between cash and a balanced mix, for illustration.
Read the guide →· 7-minute read
The Tolleson Wealth Management Guide to retirement withdrawal mistakes to avoid
The main exception is a year when bonds fell along with stocks: switching funds then saves little, and a short spending trim protects the shares better.
Read the guide →· 9-minute read
How to fund bridge income before Social Security with Tolleson Wealth Management
The main exception is a household where health, family history or a small nest egg makes a long life unlikely or the bridge unaffordable.
Read the guide →· 8-minute read
The mistake of treating a retirement paycheck checklist like one monthly transfer
Many new retirees assume the 10 percent their IRA custodian withholds by default covers the tax.
Read the guide →· 8-minute read
How Tolleson Wealth Management weighs retiree spending in a bear market
A 10 percent cut changes a $6K monthly paycheck to $5,400, preserving $7,200 over 12 months while markets are down.
Read the guide →· 7-minute read
Annuity vs. systematic withdrawals (a Walkthrough from Tolleson Wealth Management)
An immediate annuity bought with IRA money generally pays taxable ordinary income, while a guardrails withdrawal can be raised or trimmed as markets and spending change.
Read the guide →· 10-minute read
Tax-efficient withdrawal order in retirement: testing a $1.5M couple’s choices
For 2026, joint modified adjusted gross income up to $218,000 corresponds to the standard $202.90 monthly Medicare Part B premium, although Medicare generally uses income reported two tax years earlier.
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