 Most retirees look at their IRAs as large income accounts they could take money from. Take Jerry, for example. He served in the Army during the Vietnam War. He made some lasting friendships during his time over there, and Jerry and his buddies are going to Oktoberfest in Germany this year. Jerry told me this once-in-a-lifetime trip was going to cost him $10,000, and he needed to figure out how to pay for it. All of Jerry's accounts are in IRAs, so every time he takes a withdrawal, it's taxed as ordinary income.