Retirement Withdrawals | Order, RMDs, and 72(t)

Updated July 31, 2026. Quick answer: the order you draw accounts down is the largest recurring tax lever in retirement, and the conventional answer – taxable first, then tax-deferred, then Roth – is a starting point rather than a rule. It ignores the low-bracket years before required distributions begin, which are usually the best conversion window you will ever have, and it ignores the bracket and Medicare-premium cliffs that make income partly a choice. Once required distributions start at 73, the choice narrows: the RMD comes out whether you want it or not, and it stacks under everything else. If you need money before 59 and a half, a 72(t) schedule is the escape hatch, and it is unforgiving once started.

Withdrawal order

Required minimum distributions

Withdrawing before 59 and a half

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Retirement Withdrawals: Which Account to Draw From, and When RMDs Take Over

Withdrawal order

Required minimum distributions

Withdrawing before 59 and a half

Other withdrawal questions

Related guides

Withdrawal sequencing is the decision an adviser is most clearly paid for.