Retirement income
Plan. Invest. Thrive.
When the IRS starts calling.
The IRS lets you defer taxes on retirement accounts — but only for so long. Once you hit RMD age, you must withdraw a minimum amount each year, whether you need it or not. Here's what that means in plain English.
- The minimum amount you must withdraw each year from tax-deferred retirement accounts, starting at your RMD age.
- Applies to: Traditional IRA, 401(k), 403(b), 457(b), SEP-IRA, SIMPLE IRA, and inherited IRAs (different rules).
- Doesn't apply to: Roth IRA during your lifetime, and Roth 401(k) starting in 2024.
Your RMD age depends on the year you were born — the SECURE Acts pushed the age up twice.
| Born | RMD age | First RMD year |
|---|
| Before July 1, 1949 | 70½ | Already in RMDs |
| July 1, 1949 – Dec 31, 1950 | 72 | Already in RMDs |
| Jan 1, 1951 – Dec 31, 1959 | 73 | The year you turn 73 |
| Jan 1, 1960 and later | 75 | The year you turn 75 |
The IRS uses a Uniform Lifetime Table — your account balance on Dec 31 divided by a life-expectancy factor.
Age 73≈ 3.8% of the account
Age 80≈ 4.9% of the account
Age 85≈ 6.3% of the account
Age 90≈ 8.2% of the account
Age 95≈ 11.2% of the account
Spouse 10+ yrs youngerDifferent (smaller) percentages apply — Joint Life Table.
- First RMD: April 1 of the year after you turn RMD age.
- All subsequent RMDs: December 31 each year.
- Penalty for missing: 25% of the missed amount (dropped from 50% under SECURE 2.0).
- Penalty reduction: 10% if corrected within a 2-year window.
Year-one trap. Delaying your first RMD to the April 1 deadline means you take two RMDs in that year — which can push you into a higher bracket or trigger IRMAA. Usually better to take the first one in the year you turn RMD age.
- QCD — Qualified Charitable Distribution. If you're 70½+, give up to $111,000 (2026) directly from your IRA to charity. It satisfies your RMD and never hits your AGI — protecting Social Security taxability and IRMAA tiers.
- Pre-RMD Roth conversions. Convert pre-tax dollars to Roth in the gap years before RMDs start. Shrinks the future RMD and the tax bill that comes with it.
- In-kind distribution. Take the security itself, not cash. Useful if you don't want to sell at a bad time.
- Aggregate IRAs, not 401(k)s. If you have multiple IRAs, you can take the total from any one. 401(k)s must each take their own RMD.
A note from MPM
We calculate and distribute your RMD each year — including any QCD you want to make. You shouldn't have to remember it, but it's good to understand what's happening. Once you're close to RMD age, we start planning around it 5–10 years out.
MPM Wealth Advisors · Plan. Invest. Thrive.
mpmwealth.com · Updated May 2026
Sources: IRS Publication 590-B (Distributions from Individual Retirement Arrangements); IRS Uniform Lifetime Table; SECURE Act of 2019 (P.L. 116-94) and SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022 (P.L. 117-328). Confirm current figures with IRS.gov before acting.