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The week's question
In December 2024, in the thread "Re: BRK: Why Not XOM?", BreckHutHigh asked the members: "What about the long road trips with kids?" This week it is put to everyone again. The button below opens the small thread re-asking it - read what others have said so far, then give your own answer as an ordinary reply.
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Personal Finance / Retirement Investing
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Author: bighairymike   😊 😞
Number: of 1281 
Subject: Re: RMD's at Vanguard
Date: 01/25/24 10:32 AM
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I'm not sure why you want to eliminate RMDs. By taking a big Roth conversion, you will pay taxes at a higher rate than you would pay by spreading the distribution out over multiple years (assuming 'big' means bracket moving size).

Keep them to a manageable size - yes. Pay more taxes than required - no. - Merumancer


------------------------------

I am well aware of taxes, quite aware. I have an elaborate spreadsheet to compute my RMD and remain within the bracket of my choosing.

for 2024 the top of the 12% bracket is $47,150.

The top of the 22% bracket is $100,525.

And the top of the 24% bracket is $191,150.

My social security, small pension, and other income alone put me in the 22% bracket. I could do a really small conversion and stay in the 22% bracket. But moving into the 24% bracket opens up an additional $90K of conversion opportunity. So yes, I am paying more than the 22% min I am stuck with but the opportunity to convert $90K more each year is worth the extra 2%.

Starting with the 2025 tax year in the 22% rate established under the Trump tax cut will expire. The present 22% rate jump back to 25% and the present 24% rate jump to 28%.

Any dollars I convert now will avoid that 4% rate increase starting in 2026.

My intention is for my heirs to inherit a tax free Roth rather than a taxes pending TIRA.







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This community has written 1,207 posts about Retirement Investing. The article-length ones it recommended most:
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