Is this hub investment advice?

No. The hub organizes source-backed education about accounts, taxes, withdrawals, and product vocabulary. It does not rank investments or tell readers what to buy.

Why are annuities in the investments hub?

Annuities sit near the account and income question. The hub keeps the product vocabulary separate from the retirement income map.

Where do Roth conversions belong?

Roth conversions belong in tax timing, future withdrawals, RMD planning, and sometimes Medicare premium lookback years.

The RetirementAtlas

Start

Investments and accounts

Investments and accounts, sorted by the question in front of you.

401(k)s, IRAs, Roth conversions, RMDs, withdrawals, taxable accounts, annuities, and portfolio risk all sit in different parts of the retirement map. This hub keeps the account question separate from the income question.

Start with accounts Build the investment map

Common account

401(k)

Employer plans often start the account conversation.

Tax fork

Roth

Roth questions are usually timing and tax questions, not just account labels.

Later-year rule

RMD

Required distributions can change taxes and withdrawal order.

Read by money fork

Pick the account question before the portfolio question.

Each answer keeps the source trail narrow. The map is where account type, taxes, income, health costs, and spending connect.

401(k), IRA, TSP

Accounts

The account labels, rollover paths, old-plan cleanup, and taxable brokerage basics.

Answer

How do 401(k)s work?

Answer

How much should I contribute to my 401(k)?

Answer

401(k) vs IRA: what is the difference?

Answer

How much should I contribute to an IRA?

Answer

What is a Roth IRA?

Answer

Roth IRA vs traditional IRA

Answer

Roth IRA vs Roth 401(k)

Answer

How 401(k) rollovers work

Answer

How to find an old 401(k)

Answer

Taxable brokerage account in retirement

Conversions

Roth planning

Roth dollars, conversion years, five-year rules, and the tax stack around a conversion.

Answer

What is a backdoor Roth?

Answer

What is a Roth conversion in retirement?

Answer

Roth conversion tax brackets 2026

Answer

When to stop Roth conversions

Answer

How Roth withdrawals work

Answer

How the Roth five-year rule works

Answer

How a mega backdoor Roth works

Later years

RMDs and inherited accounts

Required distributions, inherited IRA rules, QCDs, and spouse account rules.

Answer

What are RMDs?

Answer

RMD age by birth year

Answer

Inherited IRA 10-year rule

Answer

Spouse inherited IRA RMD rules

Answer

Qualified charitable distributions

Answer

QCD limit 2026

Spending road

Withdrawals and portfolio risk

The research vocabulary behind withdrawal rate, sequence risk, Monte Carlo, buckets, and bonds.

Answer

How much can I withdraw in retirement?

Answer

What is the 4 percent rule?

Answer

Sequence of returns risk in retirement

Answer

What is Monte Carlo retirement planning?

Answer

Asset allocation in retirement

Answer

Retirement bucket strategy

Answer

Bond ladder in retirement

Annuities and pensions

Income products

The product vocabulary for annuities, MYGAs, SPIAs, pension choices, and survivor income.

Answer

What is a pension?

Answer

Pension vs 401(k)

Answer

How do annuities work?

Answer

Is an annuity right for me?

Answer

What is a MYGA annuity?

Answer

SPIA vs MYGA

Answer

Pension lump sum or monthly income?

Answer

Pension survivor annuity vs life only

SPIA, MYGA, DIA, QLAC

Annuity types

Immediate income, later income, fixed-rate contracts, indexed contracts, and income riders.

Answer

What is an immediate annuity (SPIA)?

Answer

What is a deferred income annuity?

Answer

What is a QLAC?

Answer

What is a fixed indexed annuity?

Answer

What is an annuity income rider?

Answer

QLAC age 80 deferral

Compare the contract job

Annuity comparisons

The pages that separate product names from the income, rate, tax, and RMD job.

Answer

MYGA vs CD: which is better?

Answer

SPIA vs DIA: income now or income later?

Answer

DIA vs QLAC: what is the difference?

Answer

Fixed vs fixed indexed annuity

Answer

Income rider vs deferred income annuity

Capital gains

Taxable sales

Brokerage sales, investment income tax, capital gains, and the year a sale hits the return.

Answer

Capital gains tax in retirement

Answer

Net investment income tax in retirement

Answer

Taxable brokerage account in retirement

Answer

Asset allocation in retirement

Run the account calculators

Use the tools when the answer turns into a number.

Roth conversions, RMDs, withdrawal order, annuity income, QLACs, and MYGA-vs-CD comparisons all have a quick calculator nearby.

2 min

Roth conversion preview

See the tax cost today vs. possible tax savings later, before required withdrawals begin.

Open calculator

1 min

Required withdrawal calculator

Regular IRA and 401(k) withdrawals usually start at 73 or 75 depending on birth year. See the first year and the next decade.

Open calculator

1 min

Savings order preview

See how taxes change when money comes from different account types first.

Open calculator

1 min

Annuity income estimator

Get an illustrative estimate of the income a lump sum could provide, or the deposit a target income would need. Not a quote.

Open calculator

1 min

QLAC limit + RMD reduction

See the most you could put into a QLAC from your IRA and how much it would trim your first-year required withdrawal.

Open calculator

1 min

MYGA vs CD comparison

Compare a fixed annuity to a CD over a set term and see how the annuity’s tax deferral changes the after-tax result.

Open calculator

Carry it into the map

Investment questions get clearer when the withdrawal road is visible.

The free journey brings accounts, income, taxes, Social Security, health costs, and spending into one readable map.

Map accounts and income