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Financial Planning / Tax Strategies
URL: http://boards.fool.com/edyboom223-writes-heres-my-situation-i-am-27-29373266.aspx
Subject: Re: Should I Convert?	Date: 6/21/2011 5:55 PM
Author: Bob78164	Number: 113558 of 118626
edyboom223 writes: Here's my situation: I am 27. I have a Traditional IRA with about $3,000. I have a Roth IRA with about $42,000. I have read that it's good to have tax diversification, and this makes me think it's safe to have 2 accounts. However, I believe the Roth is superior to the Traditional IRA, so I feel that I should convert. What do you think? Thanks in advance for any feedback. I reply: I'd convert. Here's why. I'm assuming that current law will remain more or less the same. If so, there will probably come a day when your income means you can no longer make contributions to a Roth IRA. But you'll always be able to make contributions to a traditional IRA and then convert them to a Roth. If the traditional IRA is empty at the time you begin this process, the next tax effect is essentially the same as contributing to a Roth. But if there's more money in the traditional IRA than your basis there, that won't necessarily be the case. That's particularly true if you are covered by a retirement plan at work -- then you'll have a basis in the traditional IRA because your contributions won't be deductible (once your income is sufficiently high). --Bob
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