Roth & conversions.
Building and filling the tax-free side of your plan — Roth vs traditional, the conversion ladder and window, net unrealized appreciation, and the ACA subsidy cliff that shapes early-retiree conversions.
Every guide in this cluster
Roth IRA vs. Traditional IRA: Which Is Right for You? (2026)
It comes down to whether your tax rate is higher now or later. The 2026 limits, the income phase-outs, and a side-by-side that picks a lane for your situation.
The Roth Conversion Ladder: Bracket-Filling Year by Year (2026)
A Roth conversion ladder fills a tax bracket each year and starts a 5-year clock per conversion. The 2026 brackets, the key traps, and a ladder planner.
The Roth Conversion Window: Low-Tax Years Before RMDs
The gap between retirement and the first RMD at 73 is the lowest-tax stretch most retirees will ever see. The bracket-filling method, the two ceilings (tax brackets and IRMAA), the TSP in-plan conversion option launched in 2026, the five-year rule, and an honest look at who should and shouldn’t convert.
NUA: The Company-Stock Tax Break Most Rollovers Destroy (2026)
Net Unrealized Appreciation lets you pay capital-gains rates, not ordinary income, on employer stock in a 401(k). The rules, the traps, and a calculator.
Roth Conversions vs. ACA Subsidies: The Early-Retiree Cliff Before 65
In 2026 the ACA subsidy cliff is back at 400% FPL. Every conversion dollar raises MAGI and can wipe out your premium tax credit. Finding your conversion band, with a cliff calculator.
Back to the full pillar
This is one cluster of the Tax Strategy pillar. Explore RMDs, IRMAA, state taxes, retirement-income tax, and advanced moves in the full pillar.
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