How to calculate your RMD for 2026

Step 1: Find your December 31, 2025 balance

The 2026 RMD is calculated from the prior year-end balance. Pull the December 31, 2025 fair market value of every tax-deferred retirement account you own. Custodians issue Form 5498 with this number, and most year-end statements show it clearly.

If you have multiple traditional IRAs, write down the balance of each separately for now. You can aggregate at the end.

Step 2: Find your distribution period

Open IRS Publication 590-B and find the Uniform Lifetime Table. Look up your age in 2026 (not your age right now). The table gives a distribution period in years.

A few example values from the Uniform Lifetime Table:

If your sole beneficiary is a spouse more than 10 years younger than you, use the Joint Life and Last Survivor Expectancy Table instead — the periods are longer, so the RMDs are smaller.

Step 3: Divide

For each account: 12/31/2025 balance ÷ distribution period = 2026 RMD for that account.

Example: 73-year-old with $500,000 in a traditional IRA on December 31, 2025. RMD = $500,000 ÷ 26.5 = $18,868.

Step 4: Aggregate (if applicable)

For traditional IRAs only, you can sum the RMDs across all your IRAs and take the total from any single IRA, or split it however you like. For 401(k)s, 403(b)s, and other employer plans, you must take each plan's RMD from that plan specifically — no aggregation across employer accounts.

Step 5: Withdraw by December 31

Take the calculated RMD by December 31, 2026 (or April 1, 2027 if it's your very first RMD year). Mark it on your calendar. The penalty for missing is 25% under SECURE 2.0, dropping to 10% if you correct within the correction window.

Step 6: Plan around it

RMDs increase your taxable income, your IRMAA exposure, and the percentage of your Social Security that's taxable. Many advisors run Roth conversion plans in the years before age 73/75 specifically to shrink future RMDs and the cascading tax effects.

Bottom line

RMD = (prior year-end balance) ÷ (Uniform Lifetime Table factor for your age this year). The math is simple. The planning around it — especially Roth conversion timing and IRMAA management — is where the real value is.