What a taxable index-fund account is actually worth after expense-ratio drag and after South Dakota takes its share of the gain — which, in most states, is not at the federal preferential rate.
Your gain is untouched by South Dakota. Only federal tax applies. No state tax on capital gains, short-term or long-term, and no standalone capital gains excise of the kind Washington enacted in 2021. This is the contrast that matters for an investor comparing the no-income-tax states: in South Dakota "no income tax" and "no tax on investment gains" are the same statement, and in Washington they are not.
What your state actually takes from a 401(k) withdrawal, a pension, and Social Security — in dollars, not a yes/no list.
2026 limits, employer match, the 60-63 super catch-up, and whether the Roth catch-up mandate applies to you.
When your RMDs start under SECURE 2.0, how much this year's is, and what missing it costs.
What retiring actually costs across all fifty states in 2026 — the three lines that decide it, why ranking states by income tax gets the answer wrong, the federal rules that follow you everywhere, and the decisions that are worth real money before you move.
South Dakota charges $0 in state income tax on a typical retirement income, $3,541 in property tax on its median home and $2,810 in insurance — $6,351 together, which is 14th of 50.
What moving actually saves, on your own income mix rather than a headline rate — and how to establish domicile so the state you left cannot follow you.
Which account to draw first, priced. The three cliffs a withdrawal can cross without warning, the conversion window almost nobody uses, and why the order is the last big decision you can still change.