Important reading for your retirement
The tax bill quietly haunting your 401(k) and IRA
The New York Times — Read the article ↗ · March 15, 2026 · A note from Dr. Leon Grove
The expiring tax rates built into the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act are a ticking clock — and most retirement savers do not know they are running out of time to act on the window that is still open.
Three things worth knowing
Tax rates are scheduled to rise. Current lower rates expire after 2025. Every dollar still sitting in a traditional 401(k) or IRA will be taxed at tomorrow’s higher rates when you withdraw it — unless you plan now.
Converting sooner costs less. A Roth conversion today uses today’s lower rates. Waiting means paying more tax on the same dollar — a gap that compounds over a decade of retirement withdrawals.
The traps are real — and hidden. RMDs, Social Security taxation thresholds, Medicare surcharges (IRMAA) — these are the quiet penalties most retirees do not see coming until they are already paying them.
Let’s talk about what this means for your plan specifically. Knowing the headline is not enough — you need a strategy built around your numbers.
