Updated September 26, 2026.
The best RMD workflow separates planning from completing the withdrawal. Boldin and ProjectionLab can model required minimum distributions in a retirement plan. Mezzi can help you discuss a withdrawal in the context of connected finances. Your custodian or plan administrator remains essential for confirming account details and processing the distribution.
That division matters. A forecast showing a withdrawal does not prove money left the account, and a bank deposit alone does not explain which retirement-account requirement it satisfies. Choose software for the part of the job you need help with, then keep a clear record of implementation.
Method: Mezzi publishes this guide. We reviewed official product documentation and IRS guidance on September 26, 2026, alongside our application review. This is a comparison of documented workflows, not a test of identical retirement plans or a guarantee of tax compliance. The focus is U.S. retirement accounts.
Compare the roles before comparing features
| Option | Useful role | What still needs verification | Published subscription |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mezzi | Discuss distributions alongside cash, investments, liabilities, and goals | Required amount, account eligibility, tax treatment, and actual withdrawal | Free; Advisory $399/year; Concierge $999/year |
| Boldin | Project required distributions within a retirement plan | Model inputs and account-specific withdrawal requirements | Basic free; PlannerPlus $144/year |
| ProjectionLab | Model retirement-account distributions and alternative scenarios | Account settings, assumptions, and implementation calendar | Basic free; Premium $129/year |
| Your custodian or plan administrator | Confirm account records and process distributions | Accounts held elsewhere and household tax context | Depends on your account and service agreement |
Sources: Mezzi pricing, Boldin pricing, and ProjectionLab pricing. Free tiers and paid plans have different feature scopes; the existence of a free tier does not mean every modeling feature is included.
1. Mezzi: put the withdrawal in household context
An RMD question rarely stops at the minimum amount. You may also want to understand how the cash relates to living expenses, a reserve, debt, or a broader investment decision. Mezzi connects investments, banking, other assets, and liabilities, and AI Personalization lets you retain goals and constraints for financial discussions.
A useful starting point is to describe the decision precisely: “My custodian has confirmed a required distribution. Help me identify what information I need to decide how it fits with my cash needs and other income.” Supply the confirmed amount, year, account type, and any important assumptions rather than asking the application to infer everything from a current balance.
Where it helps
The broader financial view can make the conversation more complete. A person with adequate spending cash has a different question from someone relying on distributions to pay bills. A large liability or an upcoming expense also belongs in the discussion. Saved personalization can capture those priorities without treating them as instructions that automatically move money.
Connected data is useful context, but the available information depends on the institution and connection. A current account balance should not be substituted for a required historical balance. Similarly, identifying a retirement account in an aggregator does not establish all beneficiary or plan-specific facts.
What it does not replace
Mezzi does not execute the withdrawal or move money. We are not presenting it as a dedicated RMD calculation engine, a compliance monitor, or a guarantee that every deadline will be met. The custodian's records and applicable rules remain necessary, particularly for inherited accounts and other situations that need individualized interpretation.
Cost and fit
Mezzi offers Free, Advisory at $399 annually, and Concierge at $999 annually. See the current plan details for advice and support scope. Choose it when you want broader guidance while retaining control of implementation. Choose a specialist planning model when the central task is comparing detailed retirement projections year by year.
2. Boldin: see required distributions within a retirement projection
Boldin's Insights documentation describes a Required Distributions report within its planning tools. That is relevant when you want to see how projected withdrawals interact with the rest of a retirement scenario rather than calculate only one year's amount in isolation.
The same documentation contains an important implementation caveat: the planner may aggregate RMDs from accounts depending on the withdrawal strategy. That makes the projection useful for understanding the plan, but it should not be treated as a final account-by-account execution instruction.
How to evaluate the model
Enter the correct owner and account types, then inspect the annual results rather than relying only on a summary chart. Compare what the model assumes with the account records you will actually use to arrange withdrawals. If an account is missing or misclassified, correct that before interpreting the forecast.
A good review question is, “Which assumptions explain the change between these two scenarios?” This is more informative than simply preferring the scenario with the higher ending balance. The result may depend on an income assumption, a spending change, or a withdrawal setting you did not intend to alter.
Where caution is useful
Keep the planning record and the implementation record distinct. For example, a model may show an annual total that is reasonable for exploring retirement cash flow while the actual withdrawals still need to be assigned to the appropriate accounts. Confirm that assignment with the relevant institutions before acting.
Cost and fit
Boldin lists a free Basic option and PlannerPlus at $144 annually on its pricing page. Check the tier's modeling features against your needs. It is a strong candidate for someone willing to maintain detailed inputs and review the resulting plan. It is less suitable as a substitute for confirming a distribution has actually been processed.
3. ProjectionLab: compare distribution assumptions explicitly
ProjectionLab's retirement-account documentation describes account-level RMD settings, including U.S. retirement-account distributions, custom distributions, or none. It also explains growth, fees, liquidity, and related account settings. These controls are useful when your main goal is understanding how a scenario behaves under stated assumptions.
The documentation notes that the model works in full years. That is an important distinction when evaluating a planning result: an annual model is not a day-by-day operational schedule for your institution.
How to evaluate the model
Begin with one account and inspect its classification, owner, starting balance, and distribution settings. Then add the remaining accounts and compare annual output with the assumptions you intended. Resist changing several inputs at once; doing so makes it harder to explain why the answer moved.
Build a base scenario that reflects your current understanding, then make a clearly named alternative. For example, you might compare different spending assumptions without simultaneously changing return assumptions. This makes the result easier to discuss with a professional and easier to revisit next year.
Where caution is useful
A default is a starting point, not a personal recommendation. Return, expense, and account settings should reflect the scenario being tested. A smooth projection is also not evidence that market returns or household expenses will follow that path.
The model can help you examine the consequences of assumptions. It does not replace the institution's processing requirements or prove that a withdrawal satisfies a particular account's obligation.
Cost and fit
ProjectionLab lists Basic free and Premium at $129 annually on its pricing page. Compare the included features before choosing a tier. It is most useful when you want control over modeling assumptions and will spend time checking them. Readers primarily seeking a conversational explanation of a current decision may prefer a guidance workflow alongside a simpler record of confirmed withdrawals.
The implementation layer: keep an account-level record
The IRS explains that the account owner remains responsible for taking the correct distribution even when an institution calculates it. It also distinguishes aggregation rules: an owner's IRA requirements can generally be combined for withdrawal purposes after separate calculations, while 401(k) requirements generally must be satisfied separately. Inherited accounts need their own review. See the IRS RMD FAQ.
Use a record that identifies the account, owner, relevant year, confirmed requirement, completed distributions, and remaining action. Save the institution's confirmation after processing. For complicated arrangements, have the account-specific treatment checked before relying on an aggregate dashboard total.
| Record field | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Institution and account identifier | Connects the action to the correct account |
| Owner and account type | Prevents combining unlike obligations casually |
| Year and confirmed required amount | Separates this year's task from next year's forecast |
| Completed gross distributions | Records what was actually processed |
| Remaining amount and planned action date | Makes unfinished work visible |
| Confirmation reference | Provides a source record for later reconciliation |
This is an organizational aid. It is not a substitute for the rules applicable to a specific account.
A simple reconciliation example
Suppose an institution confirms a hypothetical $20,000 requirement for a particular account and year. Its records show $12,000 in completed qualifying gross distributions. The remaining amount is $8,000. The subtraction is straightforward; the important work is verifying that the inputs belong to the right account and year.
Now suppose the household also has a second retirement account. Do not assume the $12,000 automatically counts toward that account's requirement. Confirm the applicable treatment first. Likewise, a projected withdrawal in planning software should not be included in the completed column until the institution processes it.
The example deliberately uses a confirmed requirement rather than a guessed life-expectancy factor. For calculation rules and the relevant table, use IRS Publication 590-B and the institution's account records. Personal circumstances can change which calculation applies.
Choose the smallest workflow that answers your question
If the question is “What has already been distributed?”, start with the custodian's transaction record. If it is “How might distributions affect my retirement plan over time?”, consider Boldin or ProjectionLab. If it is “How should I think about this withdrawal alongside the rest of my finances?”, Mezzi can support that discussion.
You may use more than one service, but every additional tool should have a clear purpose. A second dashboard is not automatically a second layer of verification if both depend on the same incomplete input. The most useful combination connects a well-understood model to accurate records and an explicit implementation step.
For the broader modeling comparison, see retirement planning software. For tools focused on current holdings, see portfolio trackers for tax decisions.
Frequently asked questions
Does Mezzi automatically take RMDs?
No. Mezzi supports financial guidance and discussion. It does not execute withdrawals or move money, and it should not be treated as a dedicated RMD compliance system.
Does a projected withdrawal mean my RMD is complete?
No. A projection is a modeled event. Confirm the actual distribution with the institution and reconcile it with the account's applicable requirement.
Can one RMD tool replace my custodian's records?
No. Planning tools can help organize and explain decisions, but the institution's account and transaction records remain necessary for confirming implementation.
Should I choose RMD software mainly for its AI features?
Choose first for the job: account records, retirement modeling, or broader guidance. Then evaluate whether AI makes that job easier to understand without obscuring assumptions or unfinished actions.
Connect the withdrawal to the bigger picture. Bring your confirmed account information and financial priorities to Mezzi for a clearer discussion of the decision.
Start with Mezzi FreeThis comparison is published by Mezzi for educational purposes and is not personalized investment, tax, or legal advice. Features, prices, and data availability can change. Investing involves risk, including loss of principal. Examples are illustrative and are not customer results or guarantees.