In general, savings and retirement plans have been devastated by misguided policies. Stage one of any financial plan is to understand the environment we find ourselves in.
https://www.mauldineconomics.com/images/uploads/pdf/2013_09_03_2OTB.pdf

Coordinated Tax Planning Is A Game Changer
Filing a tax return is required. By itself, however, filing rarely produces the best financial outcome. The real leverage comes from planning, especially when that planning is coordinated across the

