Question

Should I consider Roth conversions even if I don’t need the money right now?

Answer

Roth conversions are most valuable precisely when you don’t need the money, because that typically means your income is lower and the conversion may occur at a favorable tax rate. For clients in their notch years — the time between retirement and RMDs — running the numbers with a wealth advisor may reveal meaningful conversion capacity that won’t exist following the start of RMDs. The question isn’t whether you need the money now — it’s whether paying tax today at known rates is preferable to paying tax later at uncertain rates.

About Mercer Advisors

We exist so you don’t have to worry about money. For more than 40 years, we’ve taken the sophisticated, time-tested approach that many ultra-high net worth individuals use to help manage their financial lives and made it accessible to more families.

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