I've worked with many widows over the years. I've never seen one harmed by electing a joint and survivor annuity, but I've seen several hurt as a result of pension max. I've heard that the law changed, and I won't have to take out as much this year. The Treasury Department recently announced rulings that have dramatically changed the ways RMDs are calculated. The way IRA funds are distributed can be changed by the beneficiaries after the death of the person who established the IRA, providing for tremendous flexibility in post-death tax planning.
IRAs can continue growing tax-deferred for decades after death.
RMDs for beneficiaries are based upon the beneficiaries' life expectancy, which can result in required distributions that are next to nothing for young individuals. You can forget almost anything you've ever learned regarding RMDs. Unfortunately, you cannot carry a capital loss back to a previous tax year to reduce a previous capital gain. You can, however, carry a capital loss forward to offset any future year's capital gains. Essentially, capital losses can only be used to offset capital gains.