💭 Should You Convert to a Roth IRA? Ian’s Perspective

One of the smartest long-term tax strategies is a Roth IRA conversion. Done right, it can mean paying tax now at a lower rate to enjoy tax-free withdrawals later. But the timing and amount matter — and it’s not always a “convert everything at once” decision.

When a Roth Conversion Makes Sense

• 📉 Market Dips = Tax Discounts
  When the stock market is down, the balance in your traditional IRA is temporarily lower. Converting during a dip means you pay tax on less value, while all future growth in the Roth is tax-free.

• ⬇️ Lower-Income Years
  If your income is unusually low — maybe your business slowed down, or you took a break from work — that year is an opportunity to “fill up” a lower tax bracket with a Roth conversion.

• ⚖️ Staying in the Right Bracket
  The goal isn’t to convert everything at once. We typically look at how much room is left in your current bracket (for many clients, the 24% bracket or less is the sweet spot) and convert only up to that limit. Going further can push you into higher brackets and undo the benefit.

Why It Matters

• Future Roth withdrawals are 100% tax-free in retirement — with no required minimum distributions (RMDs).

• Conversions spread across multiple years smooth your lifetime tax liability.

• Strategic conversions today can help balance taxable income in retirement, keeping you in more favorable brackets long-term.

Ian’s Take

A Roth conversion is rarely an “all-in” move. It’s about pacing yourself, using market dips and income fluctuations to your advantage, and keeping conversions aligned with your tax bracket strategy year after year.

👉 Book a Tax Planning meeting and let’s talk about whether a Roth conversion makes sense for your situation.

Do you want me to also draft a sidebar call-out (like a shaded box) that quickly shows “Best Times for a Roth Conversion” for your Resources page — so visitors can scan it at a glance?