Most people think a Roth conversion comes down to one question: will my tax rate be lower later? That question matters, but it is only the start.

Some of the biggest surprises show up on your tax return and your Medicare bill, sometimes two years after you convert.

In this episode, Stewart Smith and Mitch Davies walk through what to think about before you convert. They explain why the simple "pay tax now or pay tax later" math may miss the point, and where people get tripped up. Whether you are turning 63, already retired, or just starting to wonder if a conversion makes sense, this could help you ask better questions before you act.

In This Episode, 5 Things to Think Through:

• Tax rates: why the real goal may be a lower bracket later, not a break-even spreadsheet
• Medicare: IRMAA explained in plain words, and how the two-year look back works
• Standard deduction: how the extra senior deduction can be lost by going a little over the line
• Other income: why dividends, interest, and capital gains count too
• The long view: why this needs a plan that looks past this year, including the years before required withdrawals begin

Timestamps:
[00:00] The Bill That Arrives Later
[00:44] Roth Conversions Aren't for Everyone
[01:50] Will Taxes Only Go Up?
[04:43] Why Break-Even Math Misleads
[06:01] Filling Up Your Tax Bracket
[09:06] The Medicare Surcharge Surprise
[11:53] The Couple Nobody Warned
[16:46] The Standard Deduction Trap
[19:59] Model It Past Today
[23:37] The Years Before Required Withdrawals
[25:05] Hidden Income That Pushes You Over

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Ready to build your retirement plan?

ClearPath Retirement Planning helps retirees and pre-retirees in the SC and NC areas create tax-efficient retirement income strategies.

📍 300 Executive Center Drive, Suite 104 | Greenville, SC 29615
📞 (864) 775-5033

Schedule your ClearPath Retirement Review today www.clearpathretirement.com

Subscribe & Connect:
YouTube: @ClearPathRetirementPlanning
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ClearPathRetirement
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/clearpathretirement

Important Disclosure:

Investment advisory services offered through Alphastar Capital Management, LLC, a SEC-registered investment adviser. SEC registration does not constitute an endorsement of the firm by the SEC nor does it indicate that the adviser has attained a particular level of skill or ability. Fixed insurance products are offered through Clearpath Retirement Planning, LLC and Alphastar Capital Management is not involved in the offer, recommendation, sale or management of commission-based fixed Insurance products. Alphastar Capital Management and Clearpath Retirement Planning, LLC are separate a...

As you approach retirement or as a retiree, have you ever said this to yourself...

"What am I gonna do, just sleep and watch TV all day?"

"If I stop working, my brain's gonna slow down."

"I'll just keep working, I guess. I don't know what else I'd do."

If any of that sounds familiar, this episode is for you.

Stewart Smith and Mitch Davies step away from the usual playbook this week to explore something Stewart has never talked about on the show before: his faith, and what the Bible actually says about retirement.

After hearing a lecture at a faith-driven conference in Houston, Stewart couldn't stop thinking about one question. Does scripture say anything about retiring at all? He and Mitch dug in, and what they found changes the whole way you might think about this next chapter of life.

In This Episode:
→ The one direct mention of retirement in the entire Bible, found in Numbers 8
→ Why the Levites stepped back at 50, but never stopped showing up
→ The real difference between retiring "from" work and retiring "to" a new life
→ Why the happiest retirees Stewart has met in 25 years are the ones who stay purposeful, not idle
→ Genesis 2:15 and the surprising truth that work existed before the fall
→ Proverbs 21:20 and what it means to be wise with what you've built
→ Proverbs 13:22 and the idea of leaving something for your children's children
→ Why wealth itself isn't the problem, but loving it is
→ The old saying that stuck with Stewart for 25 years: you're either green and growing, or ripe and rotten

Timestamps:
→ [00:00] Welcome in and the story behind this week's topic
→ [04:17] Does the Bible actually address retirement?
→ [06:10] Numbers 8, the Levites, and stepping back without stepping away
→ [09:10] Retiring "to" a life, not "from" a career
→ [14:21] Genesis 2:15, work before the fall
→ [18:29] Proverbs 21:20, the wise store up
→ [20:50] Proverbs 13:22, leaving an inheritance
→ [23:24] Wealth isn't the sin, loving it is
→ [27:32] Final thoughts and closing out the episode

Stewart Smith, LUTCF®, RICP®, and Mitch Davies, CFP®, share this conversation as neighbors, not preachers, hoping it gives you something to think about as you plan your own next chapter.

Subscribe to YouTube ClearPath Retirement Planning

Ready to build your retirement plan?

ClearPath Retirement Planning helps retirees and pre-retirees in the SC and NC areas create tax-efficient retirement income strategies.

📍 300 Executive Center Drive, Suite 104 | Greenville, SC 29615
📞 (864) 775-5033

Schedule your ClearPath Retirement Review today www.clearpathretirement.com

Subscribe & Connect:
YouTube: @ClearPathRetirementPlanning
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ClearPathRetirement
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/clearpathretirement

Important Disclosure:

Investment advisory services offered through Alphastar Capital Management, LLC, a SEC-registered investment adviser. SEC registration does not constitute an endorsement of the firm by the SEC nor does it indicate that the adviser has attained a particular level of skill or ability. Fixed insurance products are offered through Clearpath Retirement Planning, LLC and Alphastar Capital Management is not involved in the offer, recommendation, sale or management of commission-based fixed Insurance products. Alphastar Capital Management and Clearpath Retirement Planning, LLC are separate a...