Your lawyer may be right. There is no one-size-fits-all rule for this. It is sometimes more beneficial to begin withdrawing money from appreciated IRAs and 401(k) before age 70 1/2, even if you don't need that money for current expenses. You can always re-invest that money in bank CDs or other taxable security/account.
Once you reach age 70 1/2, you are required to take minimum distributions based on strictly mandated life-expectency guidelines. The result could easily be large distributions that are mostly eaten up by the big jump in your tax rates. For example, if taking withdrawals now would increase your income to a level still within the 28% tax bracket, you might be much better off in the long run than if you waited until mandatory distributions throw you into the top tax bracket of 39.6%.
Also, your heirs will receive a stepup in cost basis for stocks and mutual funds not in tax-deferred accounts (IRAs and 401(k)s). In other words, if your stock had a cost basis of $1,000 but was worth $50,000 when it passed to your heirs, their cost basis for that stock would be the stepped up basis of $50,000. If they sold it for $50,000, there'd be no capital gains and consequently, no tax. On the other hand, the heir of a $50,000 IRA will, upon taking a distribution, pay ordinary income taxes (rather than capital gains) up to 39.6%.
I'm concerned that your CPA did not advise you of these differences. Please evaluate for yourself whose advise is in your best interest, not their own.
