Withdrawal Sequencing

Compare three drawdown strategies across taxable / traditional / Roth — RMD-aware, tax-aware projection

Withdrawal Sequencing

Taxable Balance

Taxable Cost Basis

Traditional / 401(k)

Roth Balance

Annual Spend (after tax)

Expected Return

Inflation

Years

Ordinary Tax Rate

LTCG Rate

Starting Age

ConventionalRecommended

Taxable → Traditional → Roth

Final Balance$504,969

Total Taxes$520,552

Years Lasted25 (full)

Roth-First

Roth → Traditional → Taxable

Final Balance$453,870

Total Taxes$534,952

Years Lasted18 of 25

Proportional

Pull from each in proportion to balance

Final Balance$498,718

Total Taxes$504,847

Years Lasted25 (full)

Total Balance Trajectory

All three strategies plotted side-by-side

Year-By-Year Detail

Year	Age	Taxable	Traditional	Roth	RMD	Tax	Net Spend	Total Balance
1	65	$85,106	—	—	—	$5,106	$80,000	$1,764,787
2	66	$87,709	—	—	—	$5,709	$82,000	$1,777,703
3	67	$90,367	—	—	—	$6,317	$84,050	$1,788,576
4	68	$93,080	—	—	—	$6,928	$86,151	$1,797,226
5	69	$95,849	—	—	—	$7,544	$88,305	$1,803,459
6	70	$98,678	—	—	—	$8,165	$90,513	$1,807,068
7	71	$33,919	$79,220	$0	—	$20,364	$92,775	$1,795,564
8	72	—	$121,916	—	—	$26,822	$95,095	$1,774,067
9	73	—	$124,964	—	$51,910	$27,492	$97,472	$1,748,048
10	74	—	$128,089	$0	$51,987	$28,179	$99,909	$1,717,157
11	75	—	$131,291	—	$51,603	$28,884	$102,407	$1,681,019
12	76	—	$134,573	—	$50,905	$29,606	$104,967	$1,639,232
13	77	—	$137,937	—	$49,615	$30,346	$107,591	$1,591,373
14	78	—	$141,386	$0	$48,097	$31,105	$110,281	$1,536,986
15	79	—	$144,920	—	$46,055	$31,882	$113,038	$1,475,590
16	80	—	$148,543	—	$43,389	$32,680	$115,864	$1,406,669
17	81	—	$152,257	—	$39,772	$33,497	$118,760	$1,329,677
18	82	—	$156,063	—	$35,486	$34,334	$121,729	$1,244,030
19	83	—	$159,965	—	$29,969	$35,192	$124,773	$1,149,109
20	84	—	$163,964	—	$23,376	$36,072	$127,892	$1,044,254
21	85	—	$168,063	—	$15,154	$36,974	$131,089	$928,762
22	86	—	$78,871	$72,847	$5,189	$17,352	$134,367	$823,667
23	87	—	—	$137,726	—	—	$137,726	$727,097
24	88	—	—	$141,169	—	—	$141,169	$621,084
25	89	—	—	$144,698	—	—	$144,698	$504,969

Tax model is intentionally simple (marginal ordinary rate on traditional + RMDs; LTCG-on-gain only on taxable; Roth tax-free). State tax, NIIT, IRMAA, and Social Security taxation are excluded so strategies compare cleanly. RMD age 73 (SECURE Act 2.0) using the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table.