Required Minimum Distribution (RMDs)

Required Minimum Distribution (RMDs) are the minimum amounts you must withdraw annually from most of your tax-advantaged retirement accounts once you reach a certain age. Think of it as the government’s way of saying, “You’ve had a great run growing your money tax-free, but now it’s time to start paying taxes on it.” For decades, you enjoyed tax-deferred growth, meaning your investments grew without being chipped away by annual taxes. RMDs are the mechanism by which the IRS finally collects its due on that accumulated growth and your initial pre-tax contributions. This forced withdrawal system applies to accounts like traditional IRAs and 401(k)s. It’s a crucial milestone in every investor's retirement journey, transforming your nest egg from a pure accumulation vehicle into a source of taxable income. Understanding the rules isn't just about compliance; it's about managing your taxes and preserving your wealth effectively in your later years.

The concept behind RMDs is straightforward. The government provides significant tax breaks to encourage citizens to save for retirement. When you contribute to a traditional 401(k) or IRA, you often do so with pre-tax dollars, lowering your taxable income for that year. The money then grows inside the account, shielded from capital gains and dividend taxes. This is a fantastic deal, but it’s not a forever-free pass. The government intended these accounts for retirement, not as indefinite tax shelters or estate planning tools to pass wealth to the next generation tax-free. RMDs ensure that this tax-deferred money eventually becomes taxable income, generating revenue for the government. By forcing you to take distributions, the IRS ensures it gets its share of the pie you’ve been baking for all those years. It’s the inevitable final chapter in the lifecycle of a tax-deferred account.

Navigating RMDs requires knowing which accounts are affected, when to start, and how much to take.

Most, but not all, retirement accounts have RMD rules. The most common ones include:

• Traditional IRAs
• SEP IRAs
• SIMPLE IRAs
• 401(k) plans (both traditional and Roth 401(k)s)
• 403(b) plans
• 457(b) plans
• Profit-sharing plans

The most famous exception? The Roth IRA. For the original account owner, Roth IRAs have no RMDs. This is because you funded it with post-tax dollars, so the IRS has already gotten its cut. This makes the Roth IRA an incredibly powerful tool for tax-free growth and wealth transfer.

The starting age for RMDs has been a moving target thanks to recent legislation. Due to the SECURE Act and the later SECURE 2.0 Act, the age has shifted. For anyone turning 72 after 2022, the starting age is now 73. This age is scheduled to increase to 75 in 2033. Your very first RMD is due by April 1 of the year following the year you turn 73. However, every subsequent RMD is due by December 31 of that year. A word of caution: If you delay your first RMD until that April 1 deadline, you will have to take two RMDs in the same calendar year (the one for the previous year and the one for the current year). This could bump you into a higher tax bracket, so it's often wise to take your first RMD in the year you turn 73.

The IRS provides a simple formula to calculate your RMD for the year: Your RMD = (Account Balance on Dec. 31 of the previous year) / (A Life Expectancy Factor) This “Life Expectancy Factor” is a number published by the IRS in what's called the Uniform Lifetime Table. You simply find your age for the current year in the table and use the corresponding factor. For example, if you are 75 and the factor is 24.6, you would divide your prior year-end account balance by 24.6 to find your RMD. The table is designed so that you withdraw a larger percentage of your account as you get older.

For a value investor, RMDs aren't just an obligation; they're a strategic opportunity. It’s a moment to re-evaluate and act thoughtfully, not just reactively.

The first rule is to stay calm. Your RMD is a withdrawal requirement, not a “sell everything now” command. The worst thing you can do is panic-sell your best, undervalued assets simply to generate cash. Your primary goal remains the same: to hold high-quality businesses for the long term. The RMD is simply a new constraint to manage within that framework.

Instead of selling indiscriminately, consider these more strategic options:

• Rebalance Your Portfolio: Use the RMD as a chance to trim positions that have become overvalued or grown to an outsized portion of your portfolio. This is a natural, disciplined way to take profits and manage risk while meeting your withdrawal requirement.
• In-Kind Distributions: You don't always have to sell! If you don't need the cash and believe your holdings are undervalued, you can satisfy your RMD by transferring shares directly from your IRA to a taxable brokerage account. This is called an “in-kind” distribution. You'll still owe income tax on the market value of the shares at the time of transfer, but you get to keep the stock, allowing it to continue growing. The stock's cost basis in your new account will be its value on the day of the transfer.
• The Superstar Strategy: The QCD: A Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) is arguably the most tax-efficient way to handle RMDs for the philanthropically inclined. If you are 70.5 or older, you can donate up to $100,000 per year directly from your IRA to a qualified charity. This donation counts toward your RMD, but the amount is excluded from your taxable income. It’s a win-win: the charity gets a donation, and you satisfy your RMD without increasing your tax bill.

Don't ignore this rule. The penalty for failing to take your full RMD on time used to be a terrifying 50% of the amount you failed to withdraw. The SECURE 2.0 Act mercifully reduced this penalty. It is now 25% of the shortfall. Furthermore, if you correct the mistake in a timely manner (generally within two years), the penalty drops to 10%. While less severe, it's still a significant and easily avoidable penalty.