keeping your income low for FA - good idea or bad idea?

[WalknOnEggShells]

@thumper1

The balances IN those accounts actually are protected. BUT the distributions from them are not. And surely these early retirees are living on something!!

@thumper1, do you know if the distributions from Roth accounts count as income for FAFSA purposes, even though it isn’t taxable income? What about for the CSS?