 Second tax strategy for the year you retire is similar. Max out your Roth IRA, even that of your spouse's as well. If you've had good income near the end of your career, maybe you've earned too much to contribute to a Roth, and therefore extra money has been building up in a joint account or a bank account. In the year you retire, you'll likely have a partial year's worth of income, enough to fund a Roth IRA, but not too much to be phased out.