The Roth Conversion Playbook
How retirees are turning taxable IRAs into tax-free retirement income.
What If You Could Stop Paying Tax on Your IRA?
A Roth conversion moves money from a Traditional IRA (where every withdrawal is taxed) into a Roth IRA (where it grows and comes out tax-free). For retirees with $1 million or more in qualified accounts, the right conversion strategy can save your family six figures in lifetime taxes.
This guide explains how Roth conversions work, when they make sense, and how to avoid the Medicare surcharge trap that catches most people off guard. Written in plain English by advisors who walk families through this every week.
- 2026 tax brackets and the bracket-filling strategy
- The "gap years" window for converting at bargain rates
- How conversions affect Medicare premiums (IRMAA)
- The 2-year lookback trap most advisors miss
- Social Security interaction and RMD elimination
- Tax-free inheritance for your heirs
- Who should NOT do a Roth conversion
What You'll Learn
The Bracket-Filling Strategy
2026 tax brackets and how to convert at bargain rates. A married couple could convert $148K at an effective 8% rate during their gap years.
The IRMAA Connection
How a Roth conversion in 2026 can trigger Medicare surcharges in 2028. The 2-year lookback trap most conversion guides skip entirely.
RMDs and Social Security
How converting eliminates forced withdrawals from your IRA and reduces the taxation of your Social Security benefits.
The Legacy Angle
Why converting saves your children $150,000+ on a $500K inheritance. The 10-year rule changed everything.
Get Your Free Copy
The complete Roth Conversion Playbook with 2026 tax brackets, IRMAA tables, conversion strategies, and legacy planning. No email required. No strings attached.
13 pages. Takes about 12 minutes to read.
Roth Conversion Questions, Answered
Straight answers to the questions families ask us most about Roth conversions.
What is a Roth conversion?
A Roth conversion moves money from a Traditional IRA or 401(k), where every withdrawal is taxed, into a Roth IRA, where the money grows and comes out tax-free. You pay ordinary income tax on the amount you convert in the year you convert it. In exchange, qualified withdrawals, future growth, and what your heirs inherit from the Roth are free of federal income tax.
How much can a Roth conversion save in taxes?
It depends on your bracket, timing, and estate goals. As one example from the playbook, a married couple using the bracket-filling strategy during their gap years could convert $148,000 at an effective federal rate of about 8%. On the legacy side, converting can save children $150,000 or more in taxes on a $500,000 inherited IRA under the 10-year rule.
When is the best time to do a Roth conversion?
For many retirees the best window is the gap years: after you stop working but before Social Security and required minimum distributions begin. Income is temporarily low, so conversions fill the bottom tax brackets at bargain rates. The playbook walks through the 2026 brackets and how to size a conversion without spilling into a higher bracket.
Do Roth conversions affect Medicare premiums (IRMAA)?
Yes. Medicare's income-related monthly adjustment amount (IRMAA) is based on your income from two years earlier, so a conversion in 2026 can raise your Medicare premiums in 2028. This 2-year lookback is the trap most conversion guides skip. The playbook shows the current IRMAA thresholds and how to plan conversions around them.
Is the Roth Conversion Playbook really free?
Yes. The Roth Conversion Playbook is a free 13-page PDF from American Retirement Advisors. There is no email address required and no strings attached. It covers the 2026 tax brackets, the bracket-filling strategy, the IRMAA 2-year lookback, RMD elimination, Social Security interaction, legacy planning, and who should not convert.
Who can help me model a Roth conversion strategy?
The advisors at American Retirement Advisors walk families through Roth conversion decisions every week and will tell you honestly whether one makes sense for you. The first consultation is at no cost. Call (602) 281-3898 in Arizona or (702) 852-1417 in Las Vegas.Scottsdale (HQ): 8501 E. Princess Drive, Suite #210, Scottsdale, AZ 85255 · (602) 281-3898
Mesa: 4140 E. Baseline Road, Suite #101, Mesa, AZ 85206 · (602) 281-3898
Las Vegas: 8072 W. Sahara Ave., Suite #A, Las Vegas, NV 89117 · (702) 852-1417
Text: (602) 975-0372 · Email: info@americanretire.com
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM MST · Book online: americanretirementadvisors.com/book-consultation
This information is educational and is not tax or legal advice. Tax rules change and your situation is unique. Consult your tax professional before acting on any conversion strategy.