RothHelper Blog
Plain-language deep dives on the tax math behind retirement planning — written by the developer of the calculator.
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Roth conversions and the ACA subsidy cliff: the early-retiree trap
If you retire before 65 and buy health insurance on the marketplace, a Roth conversion isn't taxed only by the IRS — the same income can hand back thousands in premium tax credits. How the 400% FPL cliff and enhanced-subsidy rules interact with conversions, with worked numbers.
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Moving states in retirement: time your Roth conversions around it
Roth conversions are taxed by your state as well as the IRS. If you plan to relocate from a high-tax state to a no-tax one (say California to Nevada), when you convert can swing your lifetime tax bill by $50,000+. The trade-off, plus the community-property step-up wrinkle.
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How much should I convert to a Roth IRA each year?
"Fill the 12% bracket" is where the conversation starts, not where it ends. The right yearly conversion is the largest one that dodges the IRMAA tiers, the Social Security tax torpedo, the ACA subsidy cliff, and the 0% capital-gains threshold at the same time. Here's how the sizing math actually works, with worked numbers.
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The IRMAA cliff: why $1 of extra income can cost you $2,000+ in Medicare premiums
The Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount (IRMAA) is the largest single tax cliff in retirement planning — and the one most retirees discover only when the surprise letter arrives. Here's why $1 of extra income can cost thousands, why the damage hits two years after you cause it, and how to size Roth conversions to dodge the tiers.
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The Social Security tax torpedo: why "fill the 12% bracket" routinely overshoots into 22%
Standard Roth conversion advice says "convert up to the top of the 12% bracket." For most retirees collecting Social Security, that advice quietly produces a 22% conversion. Here's the math, why almost every other calculator gets it wrong, and how RothHelper's bracket-fill solver handles it.
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