How SECURE 2.0 Affects Your Retirement Plan & What To Ask Your Financial Advisor

How SECURE 2.0 Affects Your Retirement Plan & What To Ask Your Financial Advisor

The Reality of SECURE 2.0

If you're between 55 and 70, SECURE 2.0 quietly changed several levers that control your retirement income, taxes, and timing. Memorizing the new rules isn't hard. It's knowing which ones affect your financial situation and whether your financial advisor or wealth manager knows enough about weaving them into a comprehensive plan. Chicago RIA Goldstone Financial Group recommends asking incisive questions—starting with the five "essential questions" framework outlined in Essential Questions to Discuss with Your Retirement Advisor.

Key Questions To Ask Today

What's our step-by-step plan (process) for adapting to new SECURE 2.0 provisions?

RMD age shifts: Required Minimum Distributions now start at age 73 (rising to 75 in 2033), per law changes summarized by the IRS and congressional text. A later RMD start can open a window for Roth conversions in your 60s. Action to ask for: a coordinated "Retirement Roadmap" that sequences Social Security, drawdowns, and conversions—not just investments.

How will my retirement income stay reliable and tax-efficient under the new rules?

Roth options expanded: Employers can allow Roth treatment for matches/non-elective contributions; Roth SIMPLE/SEP options are now permitted. This can change your mix of tax-free vs. taxable income later. 529-to-Roth rollovers: In some instances, leftover 529 funds can roll into a beneficiary's Roth IRA (with annual and lifetime caps and seasoning rules). Ask for: a "paycheck in retirement" plan that blends guaranteed income (including annuities where appropriate), portfolio withdrawals, and Roth positioning to manage sequence risk and market downturns—an approach Goldstone emphasizes in its income planning.

How does SECURE 2.0 change my lifetime tax picture?

Catch-up contributions: High earners 50+ making catch-ups to 401(k)s may be required to make those catch-ups as Roth, depending on income thresholds and plan readiness. This can increase taxes now, reduce taxes later. QCD enhancements: Qualified Charitable Distributions from IRAs remain a powerful way to give and reduce taxable income; limits now index to inflation, and there's a one-time option to fund certain split-interest gifts. Ask your advisor to model: Roth conversions before RMDs, QCD timing after 70½, and bracket management across retirement phases. Goldstone's tax planning lens focuses on lowering your lifetime tax bill, not just this year's.

Are rising healthcare and long-term care costs integrated with these rule changes?

Later RMDs and more Roth options can reduce taxable income in Medicare means-testing years, potentially mitigating IRMAA surcharges. Ask: how healthcare assumptions and long-term care strategies interact with your withdrawal order and Roth choices—explicitly included in Goldstone's Healthcare Planning.

What happens to my money after I'm gone—under the updated regulations?

Stretch IRA limits (from earlier SECURE) and SECURE 2.0 nuances still affect heirs. If more of your savings end up in a Roth, heirs may face fewer tax complications. Ask: trust vs. will, beneficiary design, and coordinating with an attorney—hallmarks of Goldstone's Legacy and Estate Planning.

So, What's Next For Me?

SECURE 2.0 has and will continue to change the timing and tax character of retirement income. Use it to pressure-test your plan across income, tax, healthcare, investments, and legacy—the integrated "Retirement Roadmap" Goldstone advocates.

Start with the five essential questions and a practical next step: schedule a planning conversation and bring this checklist to your advisor.

"Goldstone Financial Group, LLC (“GFG”) is a registered investment advisor with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or qualification. This material is provided for informational purposes only. Opinions expressed herein are solely those of GFG. None of the information presented in this material is intended to offer personalized investment advice and does not constitute an offer to sell or solicit any offer to buy a security or any insurance product and is not intended to be used as the sole basis for financial decisions, nor should it be construed as advice designed to meet the particular needs of an individual’s situation."


Goldstone Financial Group
City: Oakbrook Terrace
Address: 18W140 Butterfield Road
Website: https://www.goldstonefinancialgroup.com/
Phone: +1 630 620 9300
Email: contactus@goldstonefg.com

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