Financing retirement has become increasingly complex and can cause unnecessary anxiety, especially for those who plan to access their retirement assets in the next several years. An array of investment options, combined with fluctuating interest and inflation rates and other variables, make it difficult to determine how much you will need, where you should invest, and to whom to turn for assistance.
The complex tax and legislative environment surrounding retirement planning only compounds the confusion. With qualified plans, such as IRA, pension, profit sharing, and 401(k) plans, the timing and amount of withdrawals are critical in order to avoid additional tax penalties. And if you have accumulated significant qualified plan assets, you may face additional problems, such as the "Double Tax Dilemma," where the government can tax these assets twice.
