Still Recovering from December? Watch how we lighten December’s Load with our RMD Tracker!
If you’re reading this in January, there’s a good chance you’re still recovering from December. Not the holidays…the RMD scramble.
Every year, Required Minimum Distributions have the same due date: December 31. And every year, plenty of advisors and clients wait until the very last minute to handle them. If that was you this year, you likely experienced some combination of stress, rushed calculations, and extended hold times with custodians like Schwab and Fidelity (60–90 minutes, anyone?). You weren’t doing anything wrong. You were just doing what everyone else was doing at the same time.
That’s exactly why January is the best time to start thinking about RMDs.
RMDs Are Predictable but the Stress Doesn’t Have to Be
RMDs aren’t a surprise. You know which clients are subject to them, which accounts are involved, and when distributions must be taken. The challenge isn’t complexity; it’s timing.
When RMDs are pushed to December:
Custodian service teams are overwhelmed
Errors are harder to fix quickly
Clients feel rushed and anxious
Advisors are balancing RMDs alongside compliance, holidays, and year-end planning
By contrast, January offers breathing room. Custodians are more responsive, workflows are calmer, and your team has time to be proactive rather than reactive. Of course, this can be a delicate dance. There will always be high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients for whom it makes the most sense to delay until year end. However, processing every straightforward RMD early frees up time and energy to end the year strong by laser focusing on the most complex, highest AUM households.
Build an RMD Process at the Start of the Year
To help advisors get ahead early, VOS offers an RMD spreadsheet template designed to simplify and standardize the RMD workflow. The template helps:
Track clients with RMD obligations
Identify applicable retirement accounts
Calculate and confirm distribution amounts
Monitor completion and follow-ups throughout the year
We’ve also created a short video walkthrough that shows exactly how we use the template effectively so your team can plug it into your existing process without guesswork.
👉 Watch the quick video walkthrough below to see how easy it is for us to help you get organized and ahead of schedule.
A Smart First Step for Tax Season
Handling RMDs early doesn’t just reduce year-end stress; it also gives you a meaningful head start on tax season.
When RMDs are addressed in January or early in the year:
Tax documents can be downloaded and organized sooner
Client files are cleaner and more accurate
RMDs are already reflected in tax letters
There’s more time for proactive tax planning conversations
If your firm uses tax planning tools like Holistiplan, this early organization is even more valuable. Our team includes professionals who know Holistiplan and can help support your tax planning workflows, whether that’s preparing data, reviewing outputs, or helping draft tax letters that include RMD details.
Get Organized Before Compliance Deadlines Hit
March has a way of sneaking up. ADV deadlines, compliance tasks, and client deliverables pile on quickly, and once they do, it’s hard to find time to clean up files or revisit unfinished projects.
Starting RMD planning in January allows us to:
Help prep and clean up client files early
Download and organize tax documents
Prepare tax letters well ahead of deadlines
Stay on top of projects alongside your team, not at the last minute
Turn December Stress Into a Better System
If December felt like a fire drill, consider it your reminder to change the process, not repeat it. RMDs don’t have to dominate year-end planning, frustrate clients, or overwhelm your team.
👉 Let VOS help you get organized now, before tax season and ADV deadlines are in full swing. Reach out to your Client Service Specialist, or if you are not in the VOS family yet, click the link below to learn more and to get started.
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