A taxable brokerage account, traditional IRA, and Roth account each handle taxes differently.

• A brokerage account provides access and tax-lot flexibility, but interest, dividends, and realized gains may be taxable.
• A traditional IRA generally postpones tax until money is withdrawn.
• A Roth account may provide tax-free qualified withdrawals and long-term flexibility.

The most useful withdrawal plan often begins with spending rather than account labels. First identify the cash the family needs. Then subtract income that will arrive anyway, including pensions, Social Security, interest, dividends, and required distributions.

The remaining need can be funded from one account or a blend. A family might use brokerage cash and high-basis investments, take a required IRA distribution, and use a smaller Roth withdrawal to avoid creating more taxable income than needed.

There is no universal order that works every year. The right mix depends on current income, future required distributions, charitable plans, major purchases, investment risk, and the family’s multiyear tax picture.

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