The SECURE Act of 2019 and the SECURE Act 2.0 of 2022 all but fundamentally changed retirement account rules in ways that continue to catch both retirees and their beneficiaries by surprise. The changes weren't minor either, as they altered the r equired minimum distribution timeline, eliminating the stretch IRA strategies for most beneficiaries, and created new compliance deadlines that now carry some pretty severe penalties. It goes without saying that understanding these rules is critical, as the penalties from the IRS can be steep if you are not compliant.
He has accumulated $2.5M in Apple stock that was purchased three decades ago. Now, it is almost all capital gains. He wants to draw on this income to fund his first few years of retirement, but doing so would count as Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI). This would likely trigger higher taxes. So, how does he get around it? Let's look at his situation and see what others can learn from it.