Why "Just Max Your 401(k)" Stops Being Good Advice in Your 50s

Align Your Retirement · Jul 28, 2026 · 12m · transcript

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Maxing your 401(k) was one of the best habits you ever built. In your 50s, at a $200K+ income, it deserves a second look. Every pre-tax dollar buys a deduction now and creates ordinary income later, on top of required withdrawals, Social Security, and possibly a survivor's single brackets.

Hazel breaks down why "you'll be in a lower bracket in retirement" often doesn't hold for strong savers, the five-step wrapper decision that replaces blind maxing (same dollars, chosen accounts), two hypothetical futures from the same savings rate, and the three cases where pre-tax is still…