Subject: Re: Finally got it right
After two years (first 2 yrs of retirement) of paying penalties for my taxes I'm actually owed money on my federal return.

I got in the habit really quickly (after year 1) of just paying what I owed the previous year. If I end up owing more than that, there is no penalty because part of the rule is to pre-pay at least as much as you owed the previous year (unless you know you will owe less). So I already did my "estimated tax" payment by paying what I owed in 2024. If it turns out to be more in 2025, at least there won't be a penalty. We'll see.