Good post. I hate the change they made on inherited retirement accounts from nonspouses. I'm paying taxes on money I don't need but have to have that account to zero by year 10 of date of death. Withhold 24 percent each year...Your post is so silly on many levels.
Most Americans' holdings in equities are in qualified accounts, not non-qualified accounts. Only about 10% of Americans file a schedule D, which details transactions in NQ accounts, and that is the account a person would trade to raise cash for taxes as you say. Rarely does anyone sell to pay taxes. Over my 26 years as an advisor, I can only think of one.
As for chaos, most Americans who invest do it via a 401k, 403b, 457, etc and are dollar cost averaging. Therefore, on a monthly basis, they are buying at lower levels. Wonderful deal for them.
As for RMD's, you're clueless. First, most retirees are not 100% in equities. They have a blend of equities and fixed income. Considering the RMD amount us roughly 4-5%/yr, many can easily use the fixed income portion to cover the RMD. Or, many can do in-kind distributions, so no selling needed.
No problem for me to plan for my clients.
But 2022 was hard as Biden's policies in 2021 WRT energy, ARP, free rent, etc added to inflation, per the SF Fed. So, in 2022, SP500 down 18%, AGG down 13% (worst ever), and Nasdaq down 33%. To do RMD's in Biden's 2022 economy was brutal.
Any advice? Can't find a work around. First world problem, but inheriting money from a parents retirement account during my peak earning years has not been fun.
My dad died the year they changed the law.