At age 70 1/2, you must take distributions from most of your retirement accounts with a few exceptions . Below is an article that explains the rules and discusses some interesting strategies that could save you on taxes in the future.
http://www.wealthmanagement.com/retirement-planning/quick-lesson-rmds
Should you convert some of your IRA to a Roth IRA? Should you make charitable contributions directly from your IRA? Accountants and Financial Advisors can assist in making sure you utilize the correct strategy to achieve your financial goals.