Jordan Rosenfeld

I’m looking to speak with U.S.-based CPAs and tax professionals about what happens when a retiree returns to work, whether full time, part time, as a consultant or through self-employment. The article will explain the tax consequences of “unretiring” and the planning moves retirees should consider before earning a paycheck again. 1. From a tax perspective, what changes when someone who has retired returns to paid work? 2. How can adding wages or self-employment income affect a retiree’s federal income tax bracket and overall tax liability? 3. Can returning to work cause more of a retiree’s Social Security benefits to become taxable? How does that calculation work? 4. How is working again different for someone who has already reached full retirement age versus someone who has not? In 2026, Social Security’s earnings limits are $24,480 for someone under full retirement age all year and $65,160 in the year they reach full retirement age, before the month they reach it. 5. What should an unretired worker know about Social Security and Medicare payroll taxes on their new wages? 6. If someone continues taking pension or traditional IRA/401(k) distributions while earning wages, how can those combined income sources affect their tax bill? Taxable pension and annuity payments generally remain subject to federal income tax even after someone returns to work. 7. How can unretiring affect required minimum distributions for someone who is already subject to RMD rules? Are there circumstances where RMDs from a new employer’s plan can be delayed? 8. Should retirees who return to work reconsider their tax withholding or estimated tax payments? What mistakes do you commonly see here? 9. Are there tax advantages to contributing to a workplace retirement plan or IRA after returning to work, and who is eligible to do so? 10. What is the biggest tax surprise people encounter when they “unretire,” and what should they do before accepting that first paycheck? Do you have anything more to add?

I’m looking to speak with CFPs, wealth advisors, retirement planners and other U.S.-based financial experts about the wealth-building opportunities people still have after they retire. The article will focus on practical ways retirees can continue growing or preserving wealth rather than treating retirement as the end of their financial growth years. 1. What are some of the most effective wealth-building moves retirees can still make after leaving full-time work? 2. How should retirees balance continuing to grow their investments with protecting the money they’ll need for living expenses? 3. Does it still make sense for retirees to maintain meaningful exposure to stocks or other growth investments? Why or why not? 4. Can part-time, consulting or self-employment income meaningfully improve a retiree’s long-term financial position? 5. What opportunities do retirees with earned income have to continue contributing to retirement accounts? 6. Are Roth conversions a useful wealth-building or tax-planning strategy in retirement? When might they make sense? 7. How can strategic withdrawals from taxable, tax-deferred and Roth accounts help retirees preserve more of their wealth? 8. What role can paying down debt, reducing recurring expenses or downsizing play in increasing a retiree’s net worth or financial flexibility? 9. What is one wealth-building opportunity retirees commonly overlook because they assume it is “too late” to keep growing their money? 10. Do you have anything more to add about how retirees can continue building or preserving wealth throughout retirement?

I’m looking for CPAs, tax professionals and retirement experts to identify retirement income sources that retirees may mistakenly assume are completely tax-free. Please explain when and why these income streams can trigger federal or state taxes, with specific examples where possible. 1. Which retirement income sources do retirees most commonly assume are tax-free when they may actually owe taxes on them? 2. How can Social Security benefits become federally taxable, and what other income can push a retiree over the applicable thresholds? 3. How are traditional 401(k) and IRA withdrawals taxed in retirement? 4. Can Roth IRA or Roth 401(k) withdrawals ever become taxable? Under what circumstances? 5. How are pensions generally taxed, and are there situations where only part of a pension payment is taxable? 6. How are annuity payments taxed, and why might retirees be surprised by the taxable portion? 7. Can interest from municipal bonds or other supposedly “tax-free” investments still affect a retiree’s overall tax situation? 8. How do capital gains, dividends or investment income held outside retirement accounts affect retirees’ taxes? 9. How can state tax rules differ from federal rules when it comes to Social Security, pensions, retirement account withdrawals and other retirement income? 10. Do you have anything more to add about retirement income that can create an unexpected tax bill?