Your RMD is calculated, you can take it out at any time, you can change the date to tomorrow if you want.Taking it out when the market is higher is a better strategy, because as the account falls in size, then you are taking out a larger percentage of the total value. (I mentioned this point in a prior post as it would suck for many people if the market fell 50% before you took your RMD based on the highest value at the end of last year.)
The second question is after you pay your taxes, investing the remaining RMD back into productive investments will help continue to grow your taxable assets, which have a different tax basis with long term gains and tax free dividends, up to a limit. With a large account and significant RMD, pay your taxes, you were successful, and try to avoid drawing down any taxable account assets, and you will have a nice rainy day or travel fund to draw on if necessary. Or, gift the money away now to family members who can use the extra money more than you can at this point.
We don't know your whole financial portfolio and lifestyle needs. I manage my parent's estates and trusts, and I took the RMD and invested into continue to grow their estate for now private pay dementia facility, which my mom likes and is very close to us. She has
20 years of private pay facility costs in her taxable estate, which I have not touched as the IRAs are paying for it with large medical expense deductions for zero taxes paid on the IRA income. She is 95 so I doubt she will use it all. .
good luck
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