Free Tool · Multi-Generation Tax Math

The Roth-for-Kids Optimizer
Convert Now, or Let the Kids Pay?

The SECURE Act gave your kids 10 years to drain an inherited Traditional IRA — and the IRS gets 24–37% of every dollar. This tool runs your remaining years AND each kid's 10-year window, then compares paying tax now (convert to Roth) vs letting them pay later. The right answer is usually tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars apart.

Pure publicly-available IRS bracket, RMD, and SECURE Act math. Not financial advice.

We serve anyone navigating Social Security and retirement income decisions, including those without a financial advisor. Free, educational, no products sold.

Step 1

You (the parent) today

Your situation drives Phase 1 of the simulation — your remaining years, your tax bracket, and how much room you have to convert at your rate vs your kids' rate later.

Used only if filing MFJ. Each spouse has their own RMD start age.
The age at which the SECOND spouse dies. Kids inherit then.
If MFJ: age of the YOUNGER spouse when the first spouse dies. Survivor files Single after this (widow's penalty). 0 = both die simultaneously at plan-to age.
Each spouse's IRA is RMD'd separately based on THEIR age & THEIR balance.
Non-retirement investment account. Gets a step-up in basis at death — kids inherit tax-free at FMV.
What you paid for the holdings. Gains above this are taxed at LTCG when sold.
What you're getting now (or what you'd get if you claimed today). Grown 3%/yr COLA — no FRA math needed.
Defaults to your current age (= "already collecting"). Bump it up if you haven't claimed yet.
Applied to tax brackets, std deduction, IRMAA tiers, pensions/wages. SS uses its own fixed 3% COLA.
Step 2

Your kids (the beneficiaries)

Each kid's age and income decide whether they'll pay 22% or 35% on the inherited Traditional IRA. The optimizer uses their bracket to decide if it's cheaper for YOU to pay the tax now vs them pay it later.

Step 3

Your conversion strategy

In the optimized scenario, you convert each year up to a chosen tax ceiling. The simulator compares this against doing nothing.

"Smart" converts up to the parent's highest fed bracket where parent's combined fed+state marginal rate stays ≤ heirs' expected combined rate (24% fed + their state). Caps at IRMAA Tier 2 once on Medicare.
Smart strategies often convert AFTER RMDs start too, if room exists.
Funding tax from brokerage is the textbook optimization — your converted Roth stays intact, brokerage uses cost basis + small LTCG hit.

Want this walked through with you?

Free 30-minute math walkthrough with Hans. We'll go through your numbers line-by-line — your phase, each kid's phase, total family tax. No products sold.

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