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Retirement

Choosing between account types, understanding what your tax rate in retirement does to that choice, and planning withdrawals. The recurring theme is that most retirement account decisions reduce to a small number of variables, and identifying which one dominates makes the choice much clearer.

April 8, 2026 · 9 min read

Roth vs. Traditional Is a Bet on One Number, and It Is Not Your Return

At identical tax rates, the two accounts produce identical results, to the dollar. The entire decision rests on whether your tax rate in retirement will be higher or lower than it is today, plus one detail about contribution limits that most comparisons miss.

Calculators for retirement

Roth IRA CalculatorProject the tax-free balance of a Roth IRA from contributions, growth, and time.401(k) CalculatorProject your 401(k) balance at retirement including the employer match, and see how much of the final balance the match contributes.IRA CalculatorProject a traditional IRA's pre-tax balance and its after-tax value in retirement.Retirement CalculatorProject your nest egg at retirement from current savings and monthly contributions, and estimate the income it could sustainably provide.

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