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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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...