The Walkaway Number · Chapter 9 · Give the next dollar a dated job

The Tax-Advantaged Bucket List

Convert household facts, current limits, and access needs into a contribution sequence.

Output: Five dated bucket rows with annual and payroll amounts, eligibility, review flags, stop rules, and next actions.

Time: Thirty minutes after gathering the documents

Safety gateOpen

Annual plannedUnresolved

Monthly plannedUnresolved

First unused capacityUnresolved

Cash reserve gapUnresolved

The sequence still has an unresolved safety gate, limit, eligibility fact, liquidity need, dated row, or review flag.

0. Safety gate and household facts

Record the cash and debt facts before automating anything. The household cannot sustain a contribution that breaks the reserve on the way to improving the spreadsheet.

As-of dateAgeHousehold incomePayroll periods per yearRequired cash reserveCurrent cash reserveDestructive debt remainingKnown near-term expensesSafety decision

1. Match

Annual contribution needed for full matchCurrent annual contribution through matchVesting statusAnnual true-up terms

2. HSA fit

HSA eligibilityCoverage typeEmployer HSA depositCurrent annual HSA contributionPlan economics, care access, and cash-need result

Applicable 2026 HSA ceilingUnresolved

3. Workplace plan above the match

Plan available and usableCurrent annual workplace contributionIntended tax treatmentPlan fees and quality note

Applicable 2026 workplace ceilingUnresolved

4. IRA review

Current annual IRA contributionDirect Roth eligibilityAll pre-tax IRA balancesPro-rata flagConversion planTax-review need

Applicable 2026 IRA ceilingUnresolved

5. Taxable bridge

Bridge dollars needed before other accounts are practicalCurrent taxable bridge balanceBridge horizonTax-aware allocation tied to horizon

6. Date the five-row sequence

Unused capacity remains visible without becoming an order. Every row gets a number, even when that number is a deliberate zero.